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Palin & The World's Leaders -- How's it Going?
September 24, 2008 11:59 AM
I've been trying to get some more independent information about how Governor Sarah Palin's meetings with world leaders are going. Not as easy as it sounds. Those rooms are small and people have been told not to talk.
The campaign briefed us yesterday and said things are going swimmingly. Of her first three meetings on Tuesday with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, McCain-Palin foreign policy advisor Steven Biegun said: "I think she liked them very much. Governor Palin established a great personal rapport." Biegun said the meetings covered everything from national security to energy policy and trade.
A spokesman for Karzai backed that up. Humayun Hamidzada said the 30 minute session between Palin and Karzai was more of an "introductory meeting, a courtesy call." Palin was asking questions, he said. Exactly what questions he couldn't recall. But he did say "She was asking all the right questions". "The President (Karzai) believes she understands the issues very well," Hamidzada said.
A spokesman for President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia was a bit less helpful. After several phone calls and two emails, he pointed this reporter to a website: http://web.presidencia.gov.co/sp/2008/septiembre/23/05232008.html.
There you'll learn that the Colombian President found his meeting with Palin to be "constructive". The meeting is framed as part of a push by the Colombian government to work with both American political parties to pass a free trade agreement between Colombia and the US, which McCain and Palin support.
September 24, 2008 in Vote 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (103)
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Hamid Karzai, Alvaro Uribe, Henry Kissinger and Palin.
I thought there was supposed to be a world leader there, my misstate.
Posted by: JR | Sep 24, 2008 12:10:52 PM
I heard that the Colombian guy was asking her how he could get a pesky trooper off his back.....
Posted by: Steve from NH | Sep 24, 2008 12:11:16 PM
New Palin interview:
Mrs. Palin how is it going with the world leaders?....................cricket cricket
My daugter piper had ice cream in New York.
Thats fine how did your meetings go?
She also tried on princess dresses.
This chick is shallow
Posted by: Joe | Sep 24, 2008 12:14:56 PM
I don't know if you meant it this way, but wouldn't be surprised if you did, but your headline of "Palin and the World's Leaders - How's it Going" seemed to imply that was the way Palin was greeting these people. As I said, it wouldn't surprise me if this were a well-thought way to diminish her efforts and make her appear shallow and simple-minded.
Posted by: bkm | Sep 24, 2008 12:19:04 PM
NOW she is qualified on all matters of foreign affairs. She exchanged 'hello' and 'my kids are named', and that is sufficient to the guns babies and bibles crowd.
Posted by: Gus | Sep 24, 2008 12:24:13 PM
"make her appear shallow and simple-minded" bkm
as if she needs help in that area, she's pretty well got shallow covered.
Posted by: JR | Sep 24, 2008 12:24:38 PM
Do you think she's giving Karzai pointers on how to get money out of Washington or vice verse?
Posted by: JR | Sep 24, 2008 12:28:28 PM
Palin can not hide from the press,
She is at most a hockey mom.
Image should she become a heart beat away the president.
Posted by: edward magee | Sep 24, 2008 12:33:04 PM
McCain's choice of Palin reflects "Abortion, Guns, and extremist religion" first, not "Country First".
Posted by: clifton | Sep 24, 2008 12:36:42 PM
JR...it is shameful the way you and others talk about Governor Palin without knowing her personally or having any interaction with her as a professional. Oh, and by the way, she just happens to have been elected to serve as one of only 50 state governors in the U.S. That's a pretty responsible job for a person who you describe as having "simple-minded and shallow" covered. Oh, and what important job do you hold that bears a similar level of responsibility? Keep in mind that "unemployed, stay-at-home blogger" is not a job.
Posted by: bkm | Sep 24, 2008 12:45:06 PM
= Introductory meeting, a courtesy call...great rapport =
Thousand dollars of tax-payers'heard earned money go to this great rapport! What's a shamed ! That's not including a round trip airfair just to have a hand shake with Nicolas Sarkozy...Presumably, the libs believe that will qualify their candidate an expert in forreign affair. It is insane. Forget the foreign affair experience issue. The candidate needs to have enough knowledge to idenfify the 50 states of US first.
Posted by: mtr2311 | Sep 24, 2008 12:53:04 PM
But bkm...she IS shallow and simpleminded.
Posted by: Ivy | Sep 24, 2008 12:55:36 PM
Why are world leaders more important to address than the voters? If Palin is the qualified VP Candidate she claims to be start acting like and address the voters. Same to the campaign -- if Palin is a qualified candidate -- she should act like it -- treat her like the candidate you claim she is and not a flower you are in fear will wilt as suggested on CNN.
Posted by: left out | Sep 24, 2008 12:59:14 PM
She's a Mental Lightweight to be meeting with the likes of Kissinger,,,LOL
Posted by: Mike | Sep 24, 2008 12:59:24 PM
ON PALIN’S MEETING AT THE UN
We have so much to memorialize from Palin's UN début. Palin for sure might not have missed the opportunity of her meeting with Hamid Karzir to pitch for MOOSE BREEDING IN THE SHRUBS OF AFGHANISTAN! This might be the very essence of her foreign policy—a way to woo the world and restore good reputation for America abroad! Did Dude Palin seat in as well, given his habit of doing so in high profile and other important political meetings? If he did, he surely would not have missed the once in a life time opportunity to present a foreign leader with a fishing rod. Now that Palin's UN meetings are coming to an end—like a night-gone dream—we await expectantly for McCain's hastily-cobbled campaign ads announcing Palin's sumptuous experience with world leaders. It is almost like getting an honorary degree without the equivalent knowledge. Mission accomplished: Palin now has the much sought after (AND NEEDED) "foreign policy experience." How can anyone, especially Democrats ever have anything more to say about that. Case closed, indeed! Palin is ready to take the world--including the Putin monster--and he is best suited to do the job, being so close to the Russian border. Note, of course, that many other heads of state (except the Bush stooges) have said no thanks to being used as a prop for the McCain campaign whose desperation and use of gimmicks increase exponentially by the hour.
Posted by: Dr. Sam | Sep 24, 2008 12:59:25 PM
HELLO WORLD!!!! My name is Tina!
Posted by: frenchsoiree | Sep 24, 2008 12:59:27 PM
Give it up people. She now has as much foreign policy as your messiah does.
Posted by: Katie | Sep 24, 2008 1:00:29 PM
She hugged Kissinger, big deal. Cramming 4 hours of a meet-and-greet at the UN seems like the high school kid trying to fluff up the application to the big college. No matter--her experience isnt a issue because McCain picked her to quiet the critical conservative base who hates him. She mollifies them---Palin is the juicy red steak you throw to the guard dogs while you try to break into the White House.
Posted by: Ivy | Sep 24, 2008 1:01:25 PM
Wow! This is really scary. The GOP is playing Russian roulette with this un-vetted candidate. Just pray the 3AM phone call does not happen on her watch.
Posted by: Aurora Fam | Sep 24, 2008 1:02:26 PM
Ivy
"But bkm...she IS shallow and simpleminded."
You base this on WHAT personal knowledge of her other than you being an above average Democratic advisor?
Posted by: CincyMike | Sep 24, 2008 1:03:24 PM
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