by James Oliphant
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gave some departing troops a little something extra in the motivation department Thursday when she spoke to them before their deployment to Iraq.
According to the Washington Post, Palin told a brigade of soldiers (that included her son, Track) that they were headed to Iraq to "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."
Of course, that Iraqis helped the 9/11 plotters was a key element of the Bush administration's original case for an invasion of that country. That view, however, has long been discredited, even by the administration itself.
So, is Palin channeling her inner Dick Cheney? One potential argument in Palin's defense: She could have been referring to the elements of al Qaeda that have surfaced in Iraq since the war began.
Track Palin, 19, will be deployed to Iraq later in the month.
The Post story also highlights some second thoughts within the John McCain campaign about sending Palin on the road by herself. The new plan is to have her staying with McCain. That way, the story says, she can continue her education on policy issues and not have to face her own dedicated press corps.
One final tidbit of information. Palin and her husband, Todd, have been assigned Secret Service code names. Hers is Denali, after the Alaska national park. His is, uh, "Driller."
Drill, baby, drill, indeed.







Comments
It seems as though she is ready to keep up the same old charade on the Iraq-9/11 game. This is one of the things that Americans have come to understand as Bushs' complete lie. It's proof that her stance will be 4 more years of lies and misleading the American people. This is "change"?
Posted by: bill r. | September 12, 2008 9:47 AM
"The Post story also highlights some second thoughts within the John McCain campaign about sending Palin on the road by herself. The new plan is to have her staying with McCain. That way, the story says, she can continue her education on policy issues and not have to face her own dedicated press corps."
'Nuff said.
On a different note, I thought the secret service assigned code names in order to be able to talk about the people without other people knowing who's being talked about? By revealing their code names, aren't you endangering the Palins? I mean, I'm no fan of either one, but I don't advocate putting them in jeopardy.
Posted by: My Aunt Fanny | September 12, 2008 10:17 AM
Now we have a second generation of Bush-McCain distorters and fabricators. The originals, Bush-Cheney, were bad enough, we do not need a cloned job, of McCain-Palin!! That is totally unacceptable. If that's what America wants, then there is no stopping her !! Look at what those misled voters of Georgia visited on their former Senator Max Clelland, a war hero of the Vietnam War, who lost three limbs, in combat. They defeated him at the polls, on the scurrilous charges of being unpatriotic !! There wasn't a peep from, our great Republican " war hero ", Senator McCain, in defense of this real war hero !! So, what I am saying, is, the Bush-McCain Republicans can make the voters believe a chihuahua is a pit-bull and get away with the lies. Wake up, America, or there will not be an America, if we have four more years of the Bush-McCain Republicans !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | September 12, 2008 10:23 AM
Sarah also believes that we should go to war with Russia. And that the Iraq War is because the Iraqis were involved in 9/11.
What a lightweight!! I can't wait for Joe Biden to absolutely chew her up in the debates. And now the GOP won't let her go campaign on her own.
Posted by: Bob "Hussein" inAtlanta | September 12, 2008 10:50 AM
She said "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out" the attacks. She said "innocent." Not "America." So by insinuating that her statement is false, are you saying for the record that you do not believe al Qaeda is in Iraq? Further, if you believe this, then I ask you: Who is attacking the innocent Iraqi people? Next you're going to tell us you believe Sarah Palin wants to declare war on Russia unprovoked. Oh, wait, you already insinuated that last night. Why don't you "journalists" at the Swamp try actually listening to what Gov. Palin says, instead of leaping to conclusions? It would be nice if you would just grant her the same benefit of the doubt that you give Obama when he talks about bombing Pakistan, putting "lipstick on a pig" and "my Muslim faith." For the record, I know that Obama is not a Muslim, did not call Palin a pig and does not believe in carpetbombing Karachi. But if you believe that Palin wants to nuke Russia without provocation or that she believes that Saddam Hussein was behind 9-11, then you must also conclude, based on Obama's own words, that he is a Muslim who thinks Palin is a pig and wants to bomb Pakistan to the stone age. See how the game works?
Posted by: JB | September 12, 2008 11:21 AM
More gutter "journalism" from the sewage that is Frank James. Palin did not say Iraq had anything to do with 9/11. What she did say is that we are fighting those there that did have something tov do with 9/11, which is Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is in Iraq and that is who we are fighting. We are not fighting Iraqis.
Also, Palin did not say we should go to war with Russia. What she did say is that if they continue to attack free, democratic nations, then "perhaps" we will have to go to war with them.
Distortion of reality: the way of the left and the corrupt media like Frank James.
Posted by: John D | September 12, 2008 11:30 AM
Correction: James Oliphant wrote this grabage based on the Washington Post garbage, not Frank James. But the reality is that both Oliphant and James are corrupt members of the media who have no clue about journalism.
Posted by: John D | September 12, 2008 11:33 AM
Man, Sarah Palin's really getting under the skin of the left wing media types like Oliphant. Iraq connection to Al Queda discredited? By whom, Harry Reid? Just who do you think has been doing all the fighting there, the Baghdad Girl Scout troop? Or haven't you heard Bin Laden's tapes? Quit trying to be part of the Obama election committee and just report the news.
Posted by: Axel | September 12, 2008 11:59 AM
"We are not fighting Iraqis."
Another bold lie from John D.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/11/world/fg-sadrcity11
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7291478.stm
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibPUW5EicVF__2z_9bfxidP3mlOQD92SF9S03
John D tells some of the most outrageous and easily disproved lies imaginable. We are fighting Iraqis. Both Sunni and Shia Iraqi domestic militia groups continue to target US forces. We continue to fight back against them.
Posted by: JT | September 12, 2008 12:28 PM
Denali -- Denial.
Fits.
Posted by: SouthSideD | September 12, 2008 1:00 PM
Bias & Spin,
It was clear these comments were regarding our fight with al-Qaeda, and it is clear that sl-Qaeda has been identified as our attacker on 9/11.
Wouldn't a journalist know the difference better. Bias reporting at it's worst.
Posted by: Ben | September 12, 2008 6:00 PM
GOD BLESS YOU SON AND ALL THE OTHERS OVER THERE
Posted by: sue | September 12, 2008 6:58 PM
GOD BLESS YOU SON AND ALL THE OTHERS OVER THERE
Posted by: sue | September 12, 2008 6:58 PM
Clearly a lot of people like Palin because they can 'relate' to her ie. she's a woman and she has kids with problems.. But those people need to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror and realise that just because they like her on a personal level does not make her fit to be second in command of the most powerful nation in the world! She doesn't come accross as intelligent (unlike Obama) and is as extreme to the right as they get.
Posted by: Sam | September 12, 2008 8:58 PM
"That way, the story says, she can continue her education on policy issues and not have to face her own dedicated press corps."
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Hilarious. Now we get to see Lieberman whisper in Johnny's ear, then Johnny whisper in Sarah's ear?
Posted by: C. Morris | September 12, 2008 9:02 PM
You write: "One potential argument in Palin's defense: She could have been referring to the elements of al Qaeda that have surfaced in Iraq since the war began."
Unlikely. Her exact words were about "the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of Americans." She is referring to specific people who made specific actions in the past. Even on the most charitable reading, I don't see how that can translate to their present-day admirers and emulators.
Posted by: Tucker L. | September 12, 2008 9:52 PM
Please read article titled "Be Careful What You Say While Campaigning…. God May Be Watching." posted on http://www.cliffyworld.com/blogs
Posted by: cliffyworld | September 13, 2008 12:40 PM
Please read article titled “Lipstick on a Pig” at http://www.cliffyworld.com/blogs
Posted by: cliffyworld | September 20, 2008 5:34 PM