Obama Dismisses Palin's Criticism Of Nuclear Policy: She's 'Not Much Of An Expert'

President Obama dismissed criticism by Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Thursday over his administration's proposal to limit the use of nuclear weapons.

Pointing to Palin's lack of expertise on the policy surrounding nuclear weapons, Obama brushed off Palin's claims that the move would make the U.S. more vulnerable.

"I really have no response. Because last I checked, Sarah Palin's not much of an expert on nuclear issues," Obama told ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "If the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff are comfortable with it, I'm probably going to take my advice from them and not from Sarah Palin,"

At a Minnesota rally on Wednesday, Palin told Fox News that the White House's vow to limit future use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states made the U.S. less safe. The former Republican vice presidential candidate compared the move to "a school kid asking to be hit."

Palin: No administration in America's history would I think ever have considered such a step that we just found out that President Obama is supporting today.

You know that's kinda like getting out there on the playground, a bunch of kids ready to fight and one of the kids saying 'Go ahead, punch me in the face and I'm not going to retaliate. Go ahead and do what you want to with me.'"

The White House unveiled its new Nuclear Posture Review Tuesday. The AP reported the plan's biggest policy changes:

"Under the new plan, the U.S. promises not to use nuclear weapons against countries that don't have them. The policy would not apply to states like North Korea and Iran, however, because of their refusal to cooperate with the international community on nonproliferation standards.

Obama's plan would lessen the role nuclear weapons play in America's defense planning."

Obama met with Stephanopoulos in Prague Thursday, where he signed a new nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev. Obama's full interview with Stephanopolous will air Friday morning on Good Morning America.

WATCH: Obama brushes off Palin's criticism

During the only debate between the 2008 vice presidential candidates, Palin was asked to explain when--or if---it would be appropriate for the U.S. to use its nuclear weapons.
WATCH: Palin's response

Comments

[feed the enemy]

05:21 AM on 04/16/2010

Obama is wrong. Palin is a Nuclear expert. She's a total bomb.

[kattyM]

06:56 PM on 04/14/2010

"TEHRAN, April 14 (UPI) -- Iran is U.S. President Barack Obama's only chance to achieve the change he seeks domestically and globally, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said."

This is the "Olive Branch" Ahmadinjad has extended toward US?
He has sent a private mail to Obama!

Ahmadinjad is basically saying that you can do all the changes you want in Washington and get reelected and Iran will help you with campaign money and bring down Zionist propaganda.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/04/14/Ahmadinejad-Iran-is-Obamas-change-agent/UPI-52561271253262/

[Kevins]

09:16 PM on 04/13/2010

All that time Sarah could see Russia from her front porch,
giving her an intimate understanding of international issues,
isn't it surprising she didn't come up with a major Nuclear Missile Treaty years ago?

[EricEFNY]

05:22 PM on 04/12/2010

Didn't you hear Sec. Gates and Sec. Clinton's joint interview on Face the Nation? They did not BAN the use "against a country that doesn't have that a form of aggression?"

On the first use policy issue:

"QUESTION: Do we still reserve the right to use nuclear weapons first if we think our security is in danger and requires that?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. Now, that’s not our preference and we make it very clear that we want to maintain a strong deterrent. We see that primarily for the purpose of deterring bad actors against us and responding if necessary. But we did not go so far as to say no first use."

Gates on the nuclear response to an attack by a non-nuclear power:

"SECRETARY GATES: But there are a couple of things to remember about this. First of all, try as we might, we could not find a credible scenario where a chemical weapon could have the kind of consequences that would warrant a nuclear response. We were concerned about the biological weapons, and that’s why the President was very clear in the – why we are very clear in the Nuclear Posture Review that if a state – if we see states developing biological weapons that we begin to think endanger us or create serious concerns, that he reserves the right to revise this policy."

Oh. The right winged source for the interview content:

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/04/139974.htm

[kattyM]

09:32 PM on 04/12/2010

Do not waist your time. Anti-War movement in this country is like a dead fish.

[ManWithBrain]

04:22 PM on 04/12/2010

Psst...someone give Sista Sarah the good news!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36411468/ns/politics-white_house/

[hiNY]

12:38 PM on 04/12/2010

Not only has he worked on this during his senate tenure, but he actually wrote about the issue of nuclear proliferation while he was in college at Columbia, during the eighties. So all in all, this is an issue he mulled over for a long period of time. If you also remember, one of the first things he did when he got to the senate was that he worked with Dick Lugar, a republican, in securing loose nukes around the word. He and Lugar, in fact, visited former soviet satellite states where the danger of loose nuclear materials is the greatest. Therefore, it is fair to say that he is not comparable to Palin on this issue in any way (give her a pass on other ones). And the reason why Obama seems a bit pissed at her and the republicans, is that these people are feeding our dumbest instincts about foreign policy and national security; while rendering complex strategic matters to boiler plate statements to feed the least informed of the masses (which seems like a significant majority nowadays.)

[CTtransplant]

02:26 PM on 04/12/2010

Great post, hiNY!

[Karisma]

12:55 AM on 04/12/2010

Sarah Palin's remarks undermine the President and could encourage terrorist behavior.
Palin's remarks can be construed both ways. She shouldn't be allowed to speak when she jeopardizes our security.

[King Cashaw]

12:42 AM on 04/12/2010

Once again, this proves she still does not read, and therefore know history. Would someone please give her a history book.

[JaCqieBHO]

12:22 AM on 04/12/2010

It would be a disgrace to have this woman as a face of America she has stup!D written all over her face..Pyuuuu..shameful...

[CTtransplant]

02:28 PM on 04/12/2010

And apparently, there are others who agree!

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/12-09-2008/106354-palindevil-0

[JaCqieBHO]

02:38 PM on 04/12/2010

LOL..Love it..I'm glad somebody see her for who she is...Ms KNOW NOTHING..

[Cye]

11:49 PM on 04/11/2010

Ha ha, nice one Mr President. There is nothing Palin and the other Right-Wing pundits hate more than being called irrelevant. It offends their over-inflated sense of self-importance. So, you can bet their reply will be furious.

[Huffing Oz]

11:23 PM on 04/11/2010

GWB and even nuclear engineer Jimmy Carter used to say “nucular”. Sad as it may be, both are now accepted pronunciations according to experts. As to Sarah Palin, well she earned the Gold Medal having achieved the acme of intellectual poverty and that puts her ahead of the pack in the American right wing conservative movement. Keep at it Sarah.

[Lindarella]

12:15 AM on 04/12/2010

According to what experts?

[Rfried]

11:13 PM on 04/11/2010

George--if you want to be taken seriously as a journalist, and you want to keep getting face time with the POTUS, then kindly avoid questions like that. Palin's opinion is about as relevant as Hannity or Limbaugh. McCain isn't even relevant anymore. They don't even speak for real republicans--they speak for the baggers. And HuffPost--again covering non-stories. Sucker punched again--will I never learn?

[BaileyMae]

07:58 PM on 04/11/2010

While vacationing in Port Townsend, Wash. we were curious about the "plant" that was behind high barbed wire fences. After inquiring from the locals what this place was, we were told "It's where they arm the bombs - that's why we feel so safe." Astounding! That would be the FIRST place I took aim. America has a strange way of feeling "safe".

[CTtransplant]

07:55 PM on 04/11/2010

Who is Palin to question the credentials of the POTUS? She ran for VP and LOST...rather than questioning the President, she may want to question WHY they lost...and look to herself first!

[Cye]

11:52 PM on 04/11/2010

That would require reflection, introspection, insight and the ability to learn from your mistakes. All of which are capabilities she, and the other Right-Wing instigators, have not demonstrated to date.

[Giveadamn]

07:30 PM on 04/11/2010

She can't even pronounce "NUCLEAR" correctly , she keeps calling it "NUCULAR". This wasb during her debate w/ Joe Biden. When she gave a folksy nickname to nuclear weaponry as the end all, be all, I could sense that she was clueless as to what to do with it if she had some.

[undecidee]

10:02 PM on 04/11/2010

That is right. I believe that there is another person who had trouble pronouncing nuclear correctly.... and that is GWB. I am so glad that she is not our VP! That would be the end all, be all!

[JaCqieBHO]

02:07 PM on 04/12/2010

That's how REPUB roll...NUCULAR