FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Sept. 12, 2008
In First Interview, Palin Says She's Ready
Republican VP Nominee Defends Her Qualifications For The Job
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Play CBS Video Video Palin Returns To Alaska Gov. Palin returned home to a warm welcome in spite of media scrutiny over her record, reports Nancy Cordes. One public policy analyst suggests Palin's rise to fame is similar to Obama's.
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Video Alaska Is 'On The Map' "Only On The Web": Alaskans gathered in Fairbanks to welcome Gov. Sarah Palin home. Supporters praised her for being down to earth and talked about the attention Alaska is now receiving.
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In this image released by ABC, Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin is talking to ABC News anchor Charles Gibson in Fairbanks, Alaska in an interview, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008. (AP)
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In this image released by ABC, ABC News anchor Charles Gibson talks to Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin in Fairbanks, Alaska in an interview, Sept. 11, 2008. (AP Photo/ABC,Donna Svennevik)
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Photo Essay Sarah Palin Alaska's youngest and first female governor tabbed to be McCain's running mate.
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Timeline Palin's Path A look at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's life and career
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has defended his running mate's qualifications, citing her command of the Alaska National Guard and Alaska's proximity to Russia.
In the interview broadcast Thursday, Palin sought to defend her qualifications to assume one of the most powerful jobs in the world. But she struggled with foreign policy, unable to describe President Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive strikes against threatening nations and acknowledging she's never met a foreign head of state.
Pressed about what insights into recent Russian actions she gained by living in Alaska, Palin told Charles Gibson of ABC News, "They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."
Palin, 44, has been Alaska's governor for less than two years and before that was a small-town mayor. She was McCain's surprise selection for the No. 2 slot on the ticket, raising questions about her readiness to serve in the White House, particularly during wartime.
Asked whether those were sufficient credentials, Palin said: "It is about reform of government and it's about putting government back on the side of the people, and that has much to do with foreign policy and national security issues." She said she brings expertise in making the country energy independent as a former chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Palin said other than a trip to visit soldiers in Kuwait and Germany last year, her only other foreign travel was to Mexico and Canada. She also said she had never met a head of state and added: "If you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you."
Foreign policy questions dominated the first of three interviews Palin was giving Gibson over two days.
In the interview Thursday, Palin:
Asked whether she agreed with that, Palin said: "In what respect, Charlie?" Gibson pressed her for an interpretation of it. She said: "His world view." That prompted Gibson to say "No, the Bush doctrine, enunciated September 2002, before the Iraq war" and describe it to her.
"I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell bent on destroying our nation," Palin said, though added "there have been mistakes made."
Later, in the second interview, Palin said she broke from McCain on climate change and oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. McCain has said humans have caused climate change and the federal government shouldn't permit drilling in the federally protected wildlife reserve.
Palin, however, said: "I believe that man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming, climate change. ... Regardless though of the reason for climate change, whether it's entirely, wholly caused by man's activities or is part of the cyclical nature of our planet - the warming and the cooling trends - regardless of that, John McCain and I agree that we gotta do something about it."
On ANWR, she said: "We'll agree to disagree but I'm gonna keep pushing that and I think eventually we're all gonna come together on that one."
On CBS News' The Early Show on Friday, Democratic N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson reacted to the interview.
"She is smart, she's intelligent and she's a governor. I'm a governor. I think you need executive experience, but I think in that interview she failed the national security threshold test," Richardson said. "She didn't seem to know what the Bush doctrine is, which is the foundation of our foreign policy for the last eight years. She seemed very casual about talking about war with Russia."
Also on The Early Show, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican, disagreed with Richardson.
"First of all, there is no test. And he is making that a test. And she gave an acceptable definition of the Bush doctrine. The Bush doctrine can be preemptive war," Giuliani said. "She explained it's his world view and his desire to deal with Islamic terrorism. I think she said on offense. That would be at least an acceptable definition. Bush doctrine which first is not a doctrine anyway."
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- The novelty of Sarah Palin is already wearing thin. After all the hoop-la, people are starting to look at her policies and beliefs. Nothing more than an airhead.
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- The latest polls from Minnesota are in. Guess what? Obama''s 12 point lead has evaporated there!! Looks like the people of Minnesota are smarter than the Dems give them credit for!
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- Obama is attacking Sarah Palin just the same way he attacked Hillary during the primaries. Let''s see, so far he has proven himself to be racist (playing the race card), sexist and downright clueless. The polls are reflecting this. "lipstick on a pig"? Obama doesn''t need any lipstick. PUMAS for Palin!!!
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- What does Jeffrey Skilling and his degree from Harvard Business School have to do with Obama not being a B or C student, or Obama''s achievements from the Harvard Law School?
It is impossible to have an intelligent debate or conversation with these one issue, stick to the script no matter what the facts are, one issue - do not touch my guns even if they are AK 47s because I need an AK 47 to shoot moose voters.
I thought McCain was the only one that had never heard of the internet or Google, but obviously his followers are in the same boat too.
Unbelievable!!! - Reply to this comment
- Palin is ready. We should refer to her as old "Rough and Ready".
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- I understand that Gov. Palin has to campaign in a skirt or dress from now on, ''cause her pants keep catching fire!
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- For those who question the Latino vote - Latino''s are not stupid. Ofcourse they are voting Obama!!!
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- Politicians are in it to win it, and the Republican choice for V.P. proves the error of desperation of some politicians to win.
- Reply to this comment
- During his admissions interview for Harvard Business School, Jeffrey Skilling was asked if he was smart, to which he famously replied, "I''m f**king smart." Skilling earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1979, graduating in the top five percent of his class. He became a consultant at McKinsey & Company in the energy and chemical consulting practices. Skilling became one of the youngest partners in the history of McKinsey.
Jeffrey Skilling was the CEO of Enron Corporation in 2001. He was convicted in 2006 of multiple federal felony charges relating to Enron''s financial collapse, and is currently serving a 24-year, 4-month prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Waseca in Waseca, Minnesota.
Wiki
Smart harvard graduates don''t necessarily make good leaders. What is important is character and Hussein Nobama is a fraud. - Reply to this comment
- The Democrat cheers that greeted the selection of veteran senator Joe Biden, 65, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, as Obama%u2019s running mate have died away.
%u201CIf we had picked Hillary Clinton, we would have saved ourselves three months of anguish over the summer,%u201D the official said. %u201CIf we had spent the time unifying the party, we%u2019d be in a totally different place. I%u2019m not sure McCain would have picked Palin if Hillary was VP.%u201D
London Times
Nobama is sexist. - Reply to this comment
- Get the Hook
- Reply to this comment
- OBAMA GRADUATED MAGNA *** LAUDE FROM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL AND WAS A PROFESSOR OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
MC CAIN GRADUATED 845TH IN A CLASS OF 849 STUDENTS FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY
SARAH PALIN GRADUATED WITH A FOUR YEAR DEGREE IN JOURNALISM WHICH TOOK HER SIX YEARS TO ACQUIRE FROM FIVE DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES.
DUH WHO IS THE B OR C STUDENT . LET''''S SEE NOW. - Reply to this comment
She is more qualified to be President, than Barak Hussein Obama.
Posted by republic1776 at 05:02 PM : Sep 13, 2008
The United States can not handle another B or C student.
Just look at the last 8 years - we deserve better and can do better...
******************************************************IOWEIGN FYI
OBAMA GRADUATED MAGNA *** LAUDE FROM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL AND WAS A PROFESSOR OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
MC CAIN GRADUATED 845TH IN A CLASS OF 849 STUDENTS FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY
SARAH PALIN GRADUATED WITH A FOUR YEAR DEGREE IN JOURNALISM WHICH TOOK HER SIX YEARS TO ACQUIRE FROM FIVE DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES.
DUH WHO IS THE B OR C STUDENT . LET''S SEE NOW.- Reply to this comment
What''s the difference between Sarah Palin and a Pit Bull? none. Pit Bulls can sometimes be bloody illogical creatures who do not think about the fact that they can be put down because they are ignorant of the facts of law.
People have pit bulls and love them until they are provoked and perhaps eat their children.
What a weird way to refer to one''s self.
I would prefer someone who refers to themself as an intelligent human being with great powers of discretion.- Reply to this comment
- I really have to respond to some of the comments below:
Obama, a B or C student? One of these days you will decide to actually research what it takes to get into the Harvard school of Law, and even further, what it takes to become president to their distinguished Law Review instead of reading the daily Republican script.
Regarding the comments on Hispanic voters, here is a news flash, McCain unfortunalely is not running even his own campaign and will not run the white house if elected. McCain has had to submit to everything that he is against in order to gain the support of the Republican base. As a result, the Neo Cons are in charge and in case you have not heard, they are as in support of immigration as Republican''s are for Gay marriage.
Finally, electing a Vice President or likely president because she is a hockey mom, even though she has absolutely no experience? Obviously, you have not learned from the last 8 years of electing a President because he would make a good drinking buddy. If you like Palin so much, then invite her to join you at your hockey league, but that has nothing to do with electing her to serve in the white House. By the way, how many of you got invited for a beer with George Bush in the end? Oh that''s right, you do not make up part of the 2% of the wealthiest americans that benefited from his tax cut. - Reply to this comment
- She is more qualified to be President, than Barak Hussein Obama.
Posted by republic1776 at 05:02 PM : Sep 13, 2008
The United States can not handle another B or C student.
Just look at the last 8 years - we deserve better and can do better... - Reply to this comment
- The Democratic Party%u2019s popularity with Hispanic voters in December, however, may have been due heavily to Sen. Hillary Clinton%u2019s appeal as a primary candidate. Given the choice between McCain and Obama, some feel that McCain%u2019s long record on immigration may prove more beneficial to Hispanics, according to the CBS News analysis.
McCain has made immigration reform a key part of his political career, and he pushed hard for a failed immigration proposal last year that was largely unpopular with conservative Republicans because it advocated a path to citizenship for working immigrants.
McCain has also begun running ads targeted at Cuban-Americans in Florida and has spoken out on Latino issues for many years.
Alma Morales Riojas, the president of the Latina women%u2019s organization MANA, said McCain%u2019s work may appeal more to Hispanic voters.
%u201CThey%u2019ve seen McCain coming from Arizona, work with the Latino community,%u201D she said, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Company. %u201CI don%u2019t know that we%u2019ve seen Senator Obama work with the Hispanic community, and frankly, I don%u2019t think we%u2019ve seen him speak on immigration reform.%u201D
PBS
Hispanics support John McCain. - Reply to this comment
- McCain will say or do anything to become President of the United States ....
And we will believe it. - Reply to this comment
- "Palin may attack earmarks, as she did in her interview with ABC News, what funds has she sent back to Washington, given that Alaskans get $231 per person in earmarks, compared with $22 per person in Mr. Obama%u2019s Illinois?" - New York Times
McCain will say or do anything to become President of the United States. - Reply to this comment
If the qualification to be president is a willingness to stand on the national stage and lie to the American people over and over, then she is just as ready as Geoge Bush was.
She has proven that nearly everything we were told about her from the McCain campaign and just about everything she told us in her acceptance speech and the Republican convention speech has been proven to be false, either a distortion of facts or outright lies.
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