They Think We're Stupid

NYDaily News: McCain's Latin American foreign policy experience, in 1957.

Miami Herald: Old flame cited as part of McCain's Latin experience

Sen. John McCain's senior foreign policy advisor cites a steamy romance 50 years ago with a Brazilian babe among the things that illustrate the candidate's decades-long interest in Latin America.

Speaking at an Americas Conference panel discussion Friday on the next U.S. president's Latin American policy, McCain advisor Richard Fontaine started out by mentioning an old Brazilian flame of McCain's, who recently emerged in the press.

''Talking a little about his personal experience, he was famously born in Panama and has traveled all over the hemisphere for many years.'' Fontaine said. ``In fact, I saw, I guess it was last week, that his old girlfriend in Brazil has been found from his early days when he was in the Navy and was interviewed. She's a somewhat older woman now than she was then, but it sorta speaks to the long experience he has had in the region -- in the most positive terms.''

Hey, why didn't we elect Wilt Chamberlain President? He slept with 20,000 women, he must had had foreign policy interests all over the world.

Sheesh.

"I Can See Russia From My House!"

"They're in the state that I am the executive of."

dailykos: More painful Palin excerpts from Couric interview (video)

The more I see of this interview, the more I am convinced that this is why McCain suspended his campaign yesterday. Forget the bailout, his crisis is:

How do we solve a problem like Sarah? (lyrics below)

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

Maria/Sarah, The Sound of Music

How do you solve a problem like Sarah?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Sarah?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Sarah?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!

She'd outpester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!

How do you solve a problem like Sarah?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Sarah?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Sarah?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

Well-Traveled?

The McCain camp is desperately trying to portray their empty dress Sarah Palin as having strong foreign policy credentials. Ludicrously, they claim that because you can see Russia from Alaska, or because Alaska is right next to Russia, she has foreign policy experience.

They've also attempted to present her as a citizen of the world who has traveled.

When she was chosen by John McCain as his running mate, aides said she had traveled to Ireland, Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq.

Let's look at the record, shall we?

Visited Ireland? LIE

Her "visit" to Ireland was an airline stopover at Shannon Airport. Maybe two hours in an airport lounge.

Visited Germany? Exaggeration.

She made a "morale tour" of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. One day at most.

Kuwait? Yes. Two days.

Iraq: LIE

She never set foot in Iraq. Zero time in Iraq.

In the infamous Charles Gibson interview, Palin now claims to have visited Canada and Mexico.

The facts? Vacations:

Canada: Once, last year. No details available. (If there were details beyond it being a vacation, wouldn't the campaign have rushed them out?)

Mexico: On vacation. No details available. (I am thinking, Cabo counts as foreign travel?)

I own a two-year old suitcase that has traveled more than One-Heartbeat-Away Sarah Palin.

Boston Globe: Palin camp clarifies extent of Iraq trip
Says she never ventured beyond Kuwait border

Obama: Run This Ad

One.
Heartbeat.
Away.



hat tip to the fabulous Jed Report

Why Palin's Ignorance of the Bush Doctrine is Critical

James Fallows: The Palin Interview

What Sarah Palin revealed is that she has not been interested enough in world affairs to become minimally conversant with the issues. Many people in our great land might have difficulty defining the "Bush Doctrine" exactly. But not to recognize the name, as obviously was the case for Palin, indicates not a failure of last-minute cramming but a lack of attention to any foreign-policy discussion whatsoever in the last seven years.

Read the whole thing.

But That Wasn't On The Study Sheet!

With her vast foreign policy experience, somehow Caribou Barbie does not know what the Bush Doctrine is. I guess two weeks in a room with Karl Rove's minions is not enough to become familiar with the depth and breadth of American's foreign policy. Preemptive war? Never heard of it.

Now we know why they've been hiding her from the press. She is not ready to be Vice President. She's not ready to teach current events in a high school history class. Charlie Gibson doesn't let her hang out there very long; he gives her the answer after she says the Bush Doctrine is "his worldview".

My friends, this ill-informed dolt is John McCain's choice to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency.

Charlie: Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?

Palin: In what respect, Charlie?

Charlie: What do you interpret it to be?

Palin: His worldview.

Charlie: No, No, the Bush Doctrine. He enunciated it in September 2002, before the Iraq War.

Palin: I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is to rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hellbent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made. And with new leadership--and that's the beauty of American elections and democracy--with new leadership comes the opportunity to do things better.

Charlie: The Bush Doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory defense. We have the right to preemptively strike any other country that we believe is going to attack us.