Desperate to prove that Sarah Palin has "national security" credentials, many McCain supporters have turned to her experience "commanding" the Alaska National Guard during her 21 months as governor of the state.
Of course, while these yo-yos might actually believe this nonsense, at bottom it's a pathetic, hail Mary stretch. Let McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds explain exactly why that is (with a little help from CNN's Campbell Brown):
See? Doesn't Tucker sound like a complete idiot when he has to defend the idea in public?
Here's the deal: First off, Sarah Palin plays no role as the commander of the Alaska National Guard outside of the state. She never has, she never will. The actual commander--Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell--said so himself:
Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, considers Palin "extremely responsive and smart" and says she is in charge when it comes to in-state services, such as emergencies and natural disasters where the National Guard is the first responder.
But, in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, he said he and Palin play no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. The entire operation is under federal control, and the governor is not briefed on situations.
According to Global Security, "the governor commands AKNG [Alaska National Guard] while it is not in active federal service. The principal executive officer of DMVA [Department of Military and Veterans Affairs], the adjutant general, is an appointee of the governor."
It should be noted, however, that the current adjutant general, Gen. Campbell, was appointed in 2003--more than three years before Palin took office. So she didn't even make the decision determining who would run the Alaska National Guard.
But Tucker Bounds' wildly misinformed performance on CNN Monday leads to a more troubling question: On Sunday, John McCain himself touted Palin's national security credentials by referring to her experience with the Alaska National Guard. So the question becomes this: Does John McCain even know what Sarah Palin's role in Alaska is?
As evidence mounts that she wasn't even vetted by the campaign, the answer becomes increasingly clear: Probably not. Unfortunately for Republicans, this leaves them with a fatally flawed candidate who would likely be a disastrous Commander-in-Chief should anything befall John McCain after the election. Simply put, there's no way that this woman can be allowed to manage a two-front war. After eight years of total defense mismanagement, the troops deserve better than this:
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If it is the former what does that say about McCain's 'expertise' as a C-I-C and likewise if the latter what does that say about McCain as to how he will govern ?
On a daily basis McCain insults our intelligence. He thinks he can do whatever he wants and Americans won't notice! And the fact that he does it so easily makes me wonder if he would be willing to cook the books to get us involved in another war?
I would never in a million years vote for someone who treats the public as disdainfully and disrespectfully as McCain does regardless of his or her political affiliation. We've been treated like that for 8-years and that eight years is 8 too many! Enough already!
Those who support McCain ought to decide whether they want to be treated like that for 4 more years!
For example, the Governor of Florida just declared an emergency and called out the Guards in preparation for Hurricane Ike. Governor Jindal of Louisiana called out the guards preemptively for Hurricane Gustav. Washington MAY NOT assume command of state National Guards for peacetime purposes of this nature. This is one reason Katrina was such a disaster--Governor Blanco of Louisiana fiddled while New Orleans drowned.. That's a metaphor--I do not know if she really plays the fiddle or not. If she does, it's probably the tune "Papa Thibodeaux," popular in Louisiana.
And I can say without a doubt that there is a heck of a lot of BS posted on this thread. Thanks for the honesty.
John McCain to Joe Llieberman - conversation could have gone like this lets use the Religious Conservatives. I’ll nominate Sarah Palin For VP and if I get elected. Well make sure those charges stick. Shell resign and I will appoint you VP
BUT, and it's a BIG BUT, she does have a command post. She earned it, and she deserves it. And that command post, no matter how small or how insignificant some want to describe it, is more than Barack Obama has.
This is like Republican Reality TV. You can't make up stuff this good.
Forget about electing a 'Commander in Chief', just concentrate on getting a Governor with some common sense.
Campbell Brown: Explain to us why you think Gov. Palin is ready to be commander and chief?
No Governer has any say if the President/Dod calls up the National Guard!
The American voter is not buying this at all! We are all aware McCain picked Mrs. Palin to liven up his campaign and to signify change. However, I think all he has done is opened Pandora's box because of a gut pick who has not been vetted and is going to turn out to be a story with many problems. Nice lady? Yes. Competent to be a heartbeat away from a 72 year old guy with a history of malignent cancers? No
I'm no fan of Campbell Brown's but that question was fair, reasonable, and made that idiot look like an idiot for defending idiocy.
I see why repubs win......Once their leaders do a Vulcan mind meld on the masses, nothing can deprogram them.