McCain Tells Leno He's 'Proud' of Palin

Losing Candidate Dismisses Criticism of His Running Mate

BURBANK, Calif., Nov. 11 -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain shrugged off criticism of his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, saying Tuesday night that he expects her to "play a big role in the future of this country."

The senator from Arizona defended his vice presidential pick on NBC's "Tonight Show" -- his first television interview since losing to Barack Obama a week earlier.

"I'm so proud of her, and I'm very grateful that she agreed to run with me. She inspired people. She still does," McCain said. "And look, I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin, and she's going back to be a great governor, and I think she will play a big role in the future of this country."

And he rejected the idea that a different vice presidential pick would have changed the outcome of the presidential election.

Asked by host Jay Leno about criticism of Palin by unnamed McCain campaign aides, McCain suggested that such carping amounted to sour grapes from people claiming to be campaign insiders.

"I think I have at least a thousand, quote, 'top advisers,' " he said. " 'A top adviser said' -- people I've never even heard of, much less a, quote, 'top adviser' or a 'high-ranking Republican official.' "

"These things go on in campaigns, and you just have to move on," McCain also said. He did not directly address reports of clothes purchased for Palin by the Republican National Committee, or of aides who reportedly scorned her foreign policy knowledge.

For his part, McCain joked, since the election he has been "sleeping like a baby": "Sleep two hours, wake up and cry. Sleep two hours, wake up and cry," he said to laughter.

And he noted that a number of politicians from his state preceded him in running unsuccessfully for the White House. "Arizona may be the only state in America where mothers don't tell their children that someday they can grow up and be president of the United States," he said.

Leno said that, as he watched the campaign unfold on TV, he "would see sort of two McCains," and he asked the senator to explain why that was. McCain replied: "I think these are tough times, . . . and campaigns are tough. I don't, frankly, think that a lot of people wanted a stand-up comic. They wanted to know how we were going to address the issues. . . . But, you know, you just do the best that you can."

McCain's "Tonight Show" appearance, his 14th, was scheduled to coincide with Veterans Day.