Giant Gaffe: McCain Confuses National Guard and Army -- and Palin's Son

If you don't already do it, you really should be checking out the Anchorage Daily News site regularly, for local Palin news, editorials and op-eds, and its excellent Alaska Politics blog (special bonus Ted Stevens coverage there). Today, for example, the paper hits Palin hard in an editorial for abdicating to the McCain campaign on Troopergate.

And here's a brand-new gem on a stunning, overlooked McCain gaffe from David Hulen at the Alaska Politics blog:

Candidates spend a lot of time talking, and they all misspeak sometimes. But did anyone else notice this, from Wednesday's much-covered McCain-Palin Town Hall event in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Palin answered questions from people in the audience? McCain said this near the end of the clip below, as he's talking up Palin's foreign policy/national security credentials:

"I also know, if I might remind you, that she is commander of the Alaska National Guard. In fact, you may know that on Sept. 11 a large contingent of the Alaska Guard deployed to Iraq and her son happened to be one of them. So I think she understands our national security challenges..."

The ceremony Palin attended at Fort Wainwright last week didn't involve the Alaska National Guard. Palin's son is in the Army, and his unit - 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division - deployed to Iraq.

More coverage on the media and the campaign here.

Greg Mitchell is editor of Editor & Publisher and author of the new book on Iraq and the media, "So Wrong for So Long."

Comments

[joceeco]

Army, Army National Guard, Marines, Navy, Naval reserves, Air force. Air National guard, they are all the same to republicans as long as they where a uniform, hell soon they will add the Boy Scouts to that list if recruitment in the Regular Army does not shape up. Still, McSame was in the military, he should know that there is a difference.

[SilverFoxUna]

Scary thought. The last one to do that was sending 10 and 12 year old boys to the WWII battle front. I wonder what a Republican concocted draft would look like?

[Rog49Thomas]

This is scarecely a "giant" gaffe.

(Note I am working in Brother Neo's campaign and will be voting for him in November).

[Okieborn]

HOW SAD !!!
Some Voters "NEVER" LEARN !!
Governors are "NOT" Commanders of their National Guard !!
Just Another Damn LIE !!!!!

[SilverFoxUna]

State Adjutant Generals are commanders of National Guard. They answer to Secretary of the Army. Governors cannot activate National Guard to war duty. They can only deploy to state needed missions. Sarah Palin does not command troops!

[deliriousgod]

He's not getting any of my Hot Wheels, either

[deliriousgod]

i heard that her son Tracker was deployed to the First Stryker Trekker Lightning- Bolter Combat Assault Arsenal Special Armoury Cavalry Platoon Rough-Ryders USA#1 Hyperbolic­ally-asini­ne Force-BrigadeFist. He was issued a magic helmet and a shield he can throw three miles like a frisbee.

[JiminNC]

And Mittens loaned him three pairs of magic underwear.

[BlondeLebanese]

OMG -- thanks for making me spit coffee out of my nose onto the keyboard and screen. Hilarious.

[rosal]

These two just make up stuff as they go along. Their fans living in la la land don't notice, the media don't report it, so there is nothing to stop them. Only high information voters take note. I would like to know what is the percentage of low information voters, and what is the one for high information voters. More than polls, this would give us an idea of how the election going is to turn out.

[TN]

Good article, but you notice rove wants everyone to think she is not good at debating. That is not true, seeing her on c-spann in alaska in the debates for gov., when she knew the material, she is an excellent debater. What her problem is is that she knows nothing about the US of A or foriegn affairs. A blank slate. How many of the 50 states before her selection had she spent more than 2 hours in a layover in. I'll bet the answer is around 3. She admitted on tape she's been soo busy with Alaska, her country, that she hasn't kept up with Iraq.

Don't let Rove get away with this message that she isn't a good debater, cause then people will say, well she debated well. The issue is she is a blank slate.

[Jingo]

Army, Marines, National Guard... what's the difference? To McCain they are all pawns.... er, ummm brave soldiers.

[applescruff]

Give McCain a break, he's only known the woman a little over a month.

[GenXer]

I mean really, it would take up a lot less news space to only report when McSame says something right.

[SamEllison]

The woman is not in the army, her son is. McSame is that you?

[angryveteran]

McCain probably doesn't know there's a difference between the ANG and the Army. I'm sure he's like many officers who have no idea about the day-to-day lives of our enlisted force. When I was enlisted, I didn't like officers and when I became an officer, I still didn't like officers (smile). Americans need to let go of this notion that just because McCain's a former POW and naval officer, he's automatically a national security expert. One has NOTHING to do with the other. When I first returned from Air Force basic training, I actually had intelligent people ask me "what did I fly" ... as if every AF troop is issued an aircraft. I would nicely explain that I worked in communications ... boring stuff. I served in this arena for 20 years and guess what, I'm no foreign policy expert just because I traveled to several countries and tried speaking the language. However, I can sit down and have a good discussion about how we can improve your network speed. I'm sure at one time, McCain could explain how to ops check an aircraft because he did fly ... his job was to put bombs on target, not to understand the national security aspects of such a mission. So, let's stop giving him a pass ... he's NO national security expert.

[YunekFlava]

Between the two of them (Pal-in/Mccain) there is just half a brain, and not a lick of honesty. No substance, and just an ounce of style.

I prefer a "Measured" Man, than a "Maverick". A maverick is undisciplined and unpredictable, and Oh by the way, that's just we need right now. NOT!!!!!!!!

[SunDiego]

Now to be fair to McSame, we've been sending our National Guard troops overseas for so Long War that technically they could be seen as interchangeable. Couple that with his obvious chomping at the bit to reinstate the draft and frankly this is just more Bush-era "Imagine" reality to make it real.

[cia1018]

I caught that but none of the MSM did.

[JenMI]

Yuo would think all the lies, gaffs, missteps, flips and confused moments in just the last week alone would send out some serious alarm bells....but no, the herd follows on.

[solutionrong]

Another senior moment......

[smit9187]

nobamanovember

You're a notorious liar. Martin Luther King, Sr. , true enough, was a Republican up until that famous call made by John Kennendy to Mrs. King when Martin Jr. was in jail, after that he changed to the Democratic Party. Martin Luther King, Jr. was unaffiliated. You all know you hate Martin, Jr., but will run his statements and his name out to bolster some political point. Evil! Evil!

[janinei]

why do republicans hate women? Why do you think we can not make a choice about our own bodies and support a candidate that makes women pay for their own rape kits??

[youknowwhat]

Whoa!!!!!!!!!! I think you took the wrong exit.