McCain defends Palin in TV interview

Former US presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday shrugged off criticism leveled at his running mate, Sarah Palin, saying he expects her "to play a big role in the future of this country."

The Republican senator from Arizona rallied to the defense of his vice-presidential pick in an appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, his first television interview since losing his White House bid to Democrat Barack Obama a week earlier.

Asked by Leno about commentary from pundits across the political spectrum who judged the Alaska governor to be a drag on the Republican ticket, McCain, 72, denied she had hurt his campaign.