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Palin Turns Focus to National Security
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ShareOctober 30, 2008 10:15 PM
ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: Following her running mate's lead, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin sought to turn the focus to national security on the campaign trail today, charging that Sen. Barack Obama is "incapable of meeting" the national security challenges facing the country.
"In five days, it's all gonna come down to a choice between two men -- Barack Obama and John McCain," Palin said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania today. "And you know a man can be admirable in many ways, and quite promising and still not be quite ready for the most important and demanding job in the world. Rousing speeches can fill a stadium, but they cannot keep our country safe."
Palin dismissed Obama’s 30-minute ad buy that aired on seven television networks last night as a "warm and fuzzy, scripted infomercial" that ignored Iraq and Afghanistan.
"He didn’t talk much about the stakes in the wars that America is fighting and he didn’t explain why he voted to cut off funding for our troops over there in the war zone when they need our support," Palin said. "Instead, he wrapped his closing message in a warm and fuzzy, scripted infomercial intended to soften the focus in these closing days. He’s hoping your mind won’t wander to the real challenges of national security, challenges that he is incapable of meeting."
Palin had introduced the new line of argument after participating in a "National Security Roundtable" in Erie, PA with a panel of McCain campaign foreign policy advisors, including former CIA Director James Woolsey, former 9/11 Commission member John Lehman, and former Secretary of Homeland Security and Erie, Pennsylvania native Tom Ridge.
After the roundtable, Palin argued that domestic and foreign policy cannot be separated, citing energy policy as an example of an issue that has an impact both at home and abroad. Palin had spoken extensively about the Republican ticket’s plans on energy security in a policy speech in Toledo, OH yesterday.
"Gone are the days when we had placed domestic and foreign concerns in two distinct categories and just choose a president according to the priorities of the moment," Palin said. "On November 4th we need to elect a president who can handle the difficulties in the economy and the dangers of the world all at the same time."
Palin said she understood that most Americans are focused on the current "economic hard times" instead of foreign policy.
"When your most valuable assets -- from your home to your retirement plan -- seem at risk, it may be hard to spend much time worrying about great troubles in far-off places," Palin said. "It may be hard to spare much thought even for the most urgent matters of national security."
But she argued that the "dangers of the world do not disappear" and that the next president will still face foreign policy threats after the economic crisis has passed.
"The terrorist threat will be with us for many years, and millions of innocent lives are hanging in the balance," Palin said. "And in this time for choosing, the question is which man will protect us from Osama bin Laden, from Al Qaeda, from the prospects of a nuclear-armed Iran, and other grave threats in the world, which one understands that threat? That man is Senator John McCain."
Palin charged that a Democratic Congress would not protect the country, slamming comments made recently by Democratic Rep. Barney Frank, in which he called for a 25 percent cut in the defense budget.
"Let's not retreat from wars that are almost won," Palin said. "And let's not gut the defense budget, in a time of multiple conflicts and obvious dangers. And let's not entrust all the powers of the federal government to the one-party rule of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid."
Palin closed by arguing that only McCain knew the costs of war, and was ready to lead on the country’s security challenges as president.
"He is a man of unquestioned honor and personal and political courage, and of tested judgment – and the kind of judgment that avoids crisis instead of inviting it," Palin said. "In a time of great danger, we are fortunate to have a man of his caliber ready, deserving, to serve as commander in chief."
October 30, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (136)
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Wow! It's scary to think that such a lunatic was actually nominated to run for VP, even scarier that she might become commander in chief. OldMc must have had another Alzheimer moment. Go back Sarah, and keep milking your Alaska!
P.S. Don't forget to return the $100,000 outfits!
Posted by: Erika | Oct 30, 2008 11:09:49 PM
This coming from a Neiman Marxist woman is amazing...
She has no national security experience and yet she talks about it... oh wait.. she is just reading from a script that she didn't write.... its not her words, because she is too ignorant to learn anything to write about.
Her numbers are falling fast and every day she talks they get worse...
Go back to Alaska Palin, they voted you in and we here in the lower 48 have no use for you... we want intelligent, thoughtful people in our government... not more corrupt, pathological liars who can't think for themselves.
Go home Palin and charge your state citizens more money to eat and sleep in your 500k house, and then charge them again to fly your family for free to events they were never invited to.
And while your at it... make sure to fudge any documents you need to, before the investigators get to them, just like you did on your travel expenses.
Palin talks and ABC just has to write about it.... again nothing news worthy, just junk journalism.
Posted by: lmg | Oct 30, 2008 11:10:44 PM
In Obama's own words in 2007 he said he will get rid of all of our nuclear weapons, cut defense spending by billions and cut our loses in Iraq and leave in defeat.
He is only saying, now, what he can to get elected. Once he's in he will be an appeaser to his friends in Iran (Hezbollah), Palestine(Hamas), and Venezuela. He does not have a grasp of the threat these country's are to us.
Bend over everybody, we're about to take it up-the-you-know-what.
Start reading up on the Qaran and go pick out a lovely burka!
Posted by: S Adams | Oct 30, 2008 11:11:12 PM
Tree-of-Life
Well, said.
Posted by: This is SO Old | Oct 30, 2008 11:11:24 PM
Looking for the truth about Palin? Check this out - guy who has been following her escapades since the RNC.
Good stuff.
Posted by: jboy | Oct 30, 2008 11:11:38 PM
I am amazed at reading all of the filth and lies directed at Obama by the special education party calling themselves the GOP or Republican party. They are so upset with what Obama was doing as young as 12, but what they don't realize is that at the age of 12 Obama had a much broader, deeper and more intelligent understanding of America and how it works than they do even as late as tonight.
I watch these two, Palin and McCain, and can't for the life of me understand why they are the best that their party can do. Can you see why the gop is in their death throes.
They have now turned on each other and I think that they are just now beginning to see what their party has done to them and to America and they realize that they have been mentally molested and raped by the ones they thought they could trust. Sort of like the Uncle everyone loved and admired until they found out he was Chester the Molester.
McCain and Palin are their meds but they are trying to cure the symptoms rather than the cause of the gop illness. Obama is the cure for the cause of the last 8 years. It will surprise them that when your cure the cause the illness goes away.
Obama for President in 08 and 12.
Posted by: democratic | Oct 30, 2008 11:12:21 PM
Who cares about national security? All we care about is our $...that's all that's important.
National security is simple. Throw Israel under the bus and make friends with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Syria and Iran.
That's the pragmatic approach...right, Sen. Obama?
Posted by: Grand Old Party | Oct 30, 2008 11:15:07 PM
Sixty-five former ambassadors and 300+ retired foreign service professionals disagree with Palin. They endorse Obama as the one to keep us more secure. They have served our country in hot spots all around the globe and know from first-hand experience what kind of presidential leadership we need. Foreign Policy for Obama has their Statement of Support in full. Good judgment is more important than experience. G.W. Bush has 8 years of experience now and continues to lower our standing in the world.
Posted by: Sara in Texas | Oct 30, 2008 11:16:49 PM
Who cares about national security? All we care about is our $...that's all that's important.
National security is simple. Throw Israel under the bus and make friends with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Syria and Iran.
That's the pragmatic approach...right, Sen. Obama?
Posted by: Grand Old Party | Oct 30, 2008 11:17:05 PM
Sixty-five former ambassadors and 300+ retired foreign service professionals say Palin is wrong. They endorse Obama as the one to keep us more secure. These pros have served our country in hot spots all around the globe and know from first-hand experience what kind of presidential leadership we need. Foreign Policy for Obama has their Statement of Support in full. Good judgment is more important than experience. G.W. Bush has 8 years of experience now and continues to lower our standing in the world.
Posted by: Sara in Texas | Oct 30, 2008 11:21:07 PM
Liz
Shut up, that is so not an issue. McCain had lawsuits against him about his birth, they were dismissed. Obama has shown his b/c. The Berg lawsuit was dismissed. Obama's college records aren't relevent and neither are McCain's.
But none of those facts are important to you, you are more interested in spreading more of the Internet garbage your friends send to your email.
If you had any interest in facts or truth, you'd find out for yourself rather than spewing garbage that you know nothing about because, like Palin, you are as uneducated as she is and revile any kind of intellectual curiosity. I'm sure those Nigerian scam artists have a field day with you. Had any luck collecting the millions?
I am so sick of the total ignorance on these boards that I have no further use for any of you Fox disciples.
Go home and hide under your rocks, cover your heads and wait until the Rapture comes. In the meantime, I'll spend my time trying to talk to people with some semblance of intellect and tell them the truth. Something the fear mongers fear more than a nuclear weapon, the truth.
Posted by: This is SO Old | Oct 30, 2008 11:21:31 PM
Barack Obama has not associated with "Rev." Wright and his "church", Louis Farrakhan, "Father" Phleger, Tony Rezko, William Ayers & Bernadine Dohrne, Rashid Khalidi, Mazen Asbahi, ACORN, and abortion extremists IN SPITE of their offensive or criminal activities, but BECAUSE of them! That's what ATTRACTS him to them!
Posted by: lightnin | Oct 30, 2008 11:26:18 PM
Sixty-five former ambassadors and 300+ retired foreign service professionals say Palin is wrong. They endorse Obama as the one to keep us more secure. These pros have served our country in hot spots all around the globe and know from first-hand experience what kind of presidential leadership we need. Foreign Policy for Obama has their Statement of Support in full. Good judgment is more important than experience. G.W. Bush has 8 years of experience now and continues to lower our standing in the world.
Posted by: Sara in Texas | Oct 30, 2008 11:29:50 PM
For this bimbo to even be quoted and taken seriously is a joke . Want more of the last eight years and this Republican economy ? Fine , vote McCain and Palin ( who would be president of the United states should something happen to McCain ), and then go get your head examined . Is Obama qualified , he sure is , even Colin Powell endorsed him as have a lot of Republicans as well as almost every major news paper in the country . His team will be the best of the best from both sides of the isle .
Posted by: John Kooms | Oct 30, 2008 11:33:15 PM
-- That's not the question, the question is does Obama who is running for president know anything about foreign policy. --
Yeah, I guess sitting up in Alaska watching russian planes trumps specalizing in international relations in college, sitting on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and I'll skip listing the various sub-committees related to international security.
Funny how the GOP mind works.
Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 30, 2008 11:34:41 PM
-- That's not the question, the question is does Obama who is running for president know anything about foreign policy. --
Yeah, I guess sitting up in Alaska watching russian planes trumps specalizing in international relations in college, sitting on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and I'll skip listing the various sub-committees related to international security.
Funny how the GOP mind works.
Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 30, 2008 11:37:32 PM
this a surprise. An article from ABC news with content and a headline that's not ridicule of Palin. Seems like the report on media bias has shamed you thugs into behaving civilized at lest for one story.
Posted by: jstacey | Oct 30, 2008 11:37:38 PM
How stupid of us Dems not to have seen this coming! We just didn't realize that Barack couldn't see Russia from his home in Hawaii, go figure!
Posted by: Sacto | Oct 30, 2008 11:39:39 PM
Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 30, 2008 11:34:41 PM
++++++++++++++++
Wow, that's a good resume for someone who calls Iran a tiny country who is no threat and says he will dismantle all of our nuclear weapons and who was caught on tape making anti-semitic jokes and talking about the end of Israel while making toasts with Khalidi.
Posted by: S Adams | Oct 30, 2008 11:40:26 PM
S Adams
If only any of those things had actually happened, you might have a point.
Posted by: jock59801 | Oct 30, 2008 11:52:05 PM
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