Sarah Palin Will Kill Us All. Just Ask Her.

There are a couple of weird things about this interview that was supposed to make things better but really makes things worse.

First there is this quote from McCain:

Gov. Palin and I agree that you don't announce that you're going to attack another country ...

That’s kind of an odd thing to say if you voted in favor of giving the President authority to attack Iraq. The whole point of that authorization was supposedly to threaten Iraq so it would comply with the UN. Or at least, that’s what we were told. So surely, McCain does believe that there is a time to “announce that you're going to attack another country.” McCain does believe in the declaration of war, doesn’t he? Is he opposed to the Declaration of Independence that announced the American intention to attack the British? To be fair, it is possible that McCain meant that one shouldn’t announce that one is going to attack another ally, which is how he phrased it at the debate.

But even if we assume that he was talking about allies, is he suggesting that the issue of whether or not the US should strike at terrorists across boarders is not something that should be discussed by the voters? This seems like a pretty important topic, and therefore, it seems like voters should be able to ask a Presidential candidate his thoughts on the matter. McCain seems to be suggesting that he would do what Obama says he would do, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he’d do it, as if springing an attack in Pakistan would be a better idea.

But here is where it starts to get really surreal. Palin says this:

Well, as Sen. McCain is suggesting here, also, never would our administration get out there and show our cards to terrorists, in this case, to enemies and let them know what the game plan was, not when that could ultimately adversely affect a plan to keep America secure.

Frankly, I don’t agree that telling terrorists that you will kill them if you get the chance even if they are hiding in Pakistan is going to surprise them greatly. I don’t think it is tipping our hand, and I don’t think it would negatively affect a plan to keep America secure, but apparently, Palin does think this, and yet she still told that guy outside the pizza joint that she would do it. McCain and Palin claim that she was the victim of gotcha journalism, so it seems that we are to believe that Palin can be tricked into risking our national security by sneaky folks lingering around pizza parlors or as Palin calls them, voters.

If this is how she handles the secret plans in the War on Terrorism, I wonder how she’d have handled WWII? It might go something like this:

Katie Couric: Over the weekend, Gov. Palin, you were asked what we should do about the Nazis and you said, “We’re going to invade Normandy on June 6, 1944.” Do you think that’s something you should have said out loud?

Sarah Palin: We had a great discussion with Prime Minster Churchill as we talked about what it is that America can and should be doing together to make sure that the Nazis do not ultimately put themselves in a position of attacking America again or her allies. And we will do what we have to do to secure the United States of America and her allies.

Couric: Is that something you shouldn't say out loud, Sen. McCain?

John McCain: Of course not. But, look, I understand this day and age of "gotcha" journalism. Is that a pizza place? In a conversation with someone who you didn't hear … the question very well, you don't know the context of the conversation, grab a phrase. Gov. Palin and I agree that you don't announce the date that you're going to attack another country …

Couric: Are you sorry you said it?

McCain: … and the fact …

Couric: Governor?

McCain: Wait a minute. Before you say, "is she sorry she said it," this was a "gotcha" sound bite that, look …

Couric: It wasn't a "gotcha." She was talking to a voter.

McCain: No, she was in a conversation with a group of people and talking back and forth. And … I'll let Gov. Palin speak for herself.

Palin: Well, it … in fact, you're absolutely right on. In the context, this was a voter, a constituent, hollering out a question from across an area asking, "What are you gonna do about Germany? You better have an answer to Germany." I said we're gonna do what we have to do to protect the United States of America.

Couric: But you were pretty specific about what you wanted to do, invade Normandy on June 6, 1944…

Palin: Well, as Sen. McCain is suggesting here, also, never would our administration get out there and show our cards to Nazis, in this case, to enemies and let them know what the game plan was, not when that could ultimately adversely affect a plan to keep America secure.

Couric: What did you learn from that experience?

Palin: That this is all about "gotcha" journalism. A lot of it is. But that's okay, too.  And remember that's Normandy on June 6, 1944. Oh, you tricked me into saying it again!