John McCain’s remarks on contraception, primary campaign making waves

Is anyone else having 2008 flashbacks? First Sarah Palin is back in the spotlight thanks to the HBO drama "Game Change," and now her running mate is in the news, too.

John McCain is finally speaking up about the "nastiest" primary campaign he's seen and why he doesn't support the contraception bill introduced in Arizona.

The senator from Arizona was asked on "Meet the Press" about a restrictive birth-control bill coming out of his state that would allow employers to deny contraception coverage for religious or moral reasons unless it was needed for a medical reason.

The GOP-sponsored bill would put employees in the odd position of being forced to explain to their bosses why they use birth control. McCain voiced his objection to the bill: "I am confident that that legislation will not reach the governor's desk, and if it did it will be vetoed. . . . It certainly doesn't reflect in my view the majority view of the people of Arizona."

When the host David Gregory asked if Republicans were being seen as the party that started a war on women, the former presidential candidate said his fellow conservatives needed to "get off" the issue of restricting birth control and "respect the right of women to make choices in their lives."

The Republican also called the current primary race "the nastiest I have ever seen." He added that the only beneficiary of an extended brawl within his party is Obama. The Mitt Romney supporter said, "Attacks on character and all of that have been very unfortunate. And, again, who has benefited from it? President Obama." He said Romney needed to focus more on the economy but said he thought that the candidate was "improving dramatically."