Actor Duvall Blasts Palin Critics at Fundraiser

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October 14, 2008 8:24 AM

ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: Introducing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at a GOP fundraiser Monday, actor Robert Duvall blasted conservatives who have criticized the McCain-Palin ticket in recent days, calling conservative columnist George Will a "super-nerd" and former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson a "block of wood".

At an RNC fundraiser in McLean, VA, Duvall introduced Palin for the third time since her nomination to the Republican ticket, taking the opportunity to accuse Republicans critical of the McCain campaign as giving "credence to the other side."

"It bothers me that certain people in the Republican Party are attacking the McCain-Palin ticket, like super-nerd George...What's his name?” Duvall asked, prompting a few attendees to laugh and shout out George Will. “George...George, I can't even think. George Will," Duvall said, referring to the Washington Post columnist who has been critical of Palin.

The legendary actor then attacked former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, who campaigned with McCain last Friday in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Thompson had expressed unhappiness with the McCain campaign in an article that appeared in Sunday's New York Times. Asked if he was happy with Sen. McCain's campaign, Thompson told the paper, "No," adding, "I don't know who is."

"Tommy Thompson of uh, that original block of wood, from Wisconsin," Duvall responded at the fundraiser. "He attacked the team today. I mean, that's like being, instead of Monday morning quarterbacking, it’s during the game. It's Friday and Saturday night quarterbacking. It's like giving credence to the other side.”

The rhetoric was a departure from recent days, where Palin has toned down her criticism of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama. Duvall used no such caution in his remarks, saying of Obama, "we gotta keep this guy out of the White House."

Duvall then introduced Palin, who quickly thanked him "for that very kind introduction" before giving her standard stump speech to the crowd of 400 Republican donors.