After a lengthy, smiling pause, Sarah Palin could not name a Supreme Court decision she disagrees with, beyond Roe v. Wade, in an interview that aired tonight on CBS.

The Alaska governor had just finished explaining that abortion should be decided by individual states when CBS anchor Katie Couric asked, “What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?”

“Well, let’s see,” Palin said, stalling for time. “There’s, of course—in the great history of America, there have been rulings, that’s never going to be absolute consensus by every American.”

The Palin family home.
Track Palin: Mo-o-o-om!  I have to write a stupid paper. And I don’t know how to start it.
Sarah Palin: What’s the paper on?
Track Palin: It’s on stupid commercial fishing.
Sarah Palin, with sudden anger: HOW DARE YOU SLANDER COMMERCIAL FISHING, WHELP.
Sarah Palin, recovering composure: Anyways!  I have a certain trick I’m gonna teach you.  You should always start a paper, or really anything, with a nice general statement what can’t be overturned.
Track Palin: Huh.
Sarah Palin: Like:  “In the history of fish, there have always been humans to eat those fish.”
Track Palin:
Sarah Palin: Or:  “In the history of America, there have been the catching and eating of fish.” And then you can just say whatever!  And no one will be able to argue with you. Because it’s like:  oh!  Are you telling me that in the entire history of America, no one has caught or eaten a fish?  Come on.
Track Palin: Mom.  Holy crud.  That’s awesome.
Sarah Palin: It’s like: checkmate.

A CBS recording studio.
Katie Couric: What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?
Sarah Palin:
Sarah Palin, smiling uncomfortably:
Sarah Palin: Well, let’s see.
Sarah Palin: There’s, of course—in the great history of America, there have been rulings, that’s never going to be absolute consensus by every American.
All Five Palin Children, looking on admiringly: WE HAVE THE SMARTEST MOM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

Tags: politics, sarah palin, commercial fishing, rhetoric, acceptable ways to begin an essay if you are twelve, katie couric