Campaign downplays Palin's Iraq war remarks
Published Saturday, September 13, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — The John McCain campaign rejected suggestions Friday that Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin was linking the Sept. 11 terror attacks to the current conflict in Iraq as part of her remarks at Fort Wainwright.
“You’ll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of Americans,” Palin told the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry and their families at Thursday’s deployment ceremony. “You’ll be there because America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before Sept. 11, 2001.”
The governor’s oldest son, Track, is part of the brigade, and she had been scheduled to speak at the ceremony weeks before accepting the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket.
But within hours of the News-Miner posting video of the speech on YouTube, commenters began questioning if Palin was asserting the attacks on New York and Washington D.C. were a primary reason for invading Iraq. The Washington Post also highlighted the comments on a story posted on its Web site.
“The folksy Republican hockey mom VP candidate just linked the 9/11 tragedy to the Iraq war,” posted the YouTube user known as unapimper. “How can anyone so clueless and ignorant be a heartbeat away from the presidency?”
“I get the feeling some people believe they can vote for an alternative reality,” wrote YouTube user SpitFireOFatJ. “It’s as if they believe if McCain wins that means history will record that they were right all along and Saddam was behind 9/11.”
The Bush administration once promoted the view that Iraq may have had something to do with the Sept. 11 attacks, but has since backed off such claims due to lack of evidence. It is, however, widely believed that al-Qaeda has an active presence in Iraq post-invasion.
McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt, however, said it was ridiculous to think Palin was insinuating a direct connection between Sept. 11 and the Iraq war.
“In her praise of the brave men and women heading overseas Gov. Palin was clearly stating that our troops are going to Iraq to defend Iraqis and continue the efforts on the ground.” he said. “Drawing conclusions that she was saying anything else is an overreach.”
To see the video of Palin’s remarks at Fort Wainwright, click here
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
Community Discussion
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This is yet another example of the McCain/Palin alternate reality. Like the Bush administration, they repeat lies so much that they and the majority think what they are saying is the truth. I think it's the continuation of the lies of the last 8 years that is so scary to me. Actually with McCain/Palin I think this might be worse. We are getting hints from the Palin's history and current thinking that the fruits of science are debatable: creationism should be taught; global warming is not man-caused.
I woke up thinking about Palin as the leader of a sort of American Taliban -- with people like her in power our teens and young women will no longer be taught that their bodies are under their own control. Birth control will be anathema. Our pregnant teens will have to marry young, and remain uneducated. ( Education is obviously not an important item in the Palin home so who knows how that will translate on a national level.) With an even more conservative court women will be deprived of any control over their reproductive destiny. And please, I am not pro-abortion. We already have a population of women running around here in long skirts with their hair shielded (from what?!). Are the burkas far behind?
Just keep rationalizing your hatred for this country and the people who defend it. Ever since Palin got the nod you liberals have been in full blown hysteria mode. You could always write in Chaves.
roadtrip, So saying that you don't like politicians lying to get elected makes you hate America? And since when has attacking Iraq helped protect America? And from whom?
Palin has made multiple remarks to demonstrate her general cluelessness about Iraq, the war there, and foreign policy in general. For evidence, watch the ABC interview, particularly the question about the Bush Doctrine of preemptive war. Watch the video of her speech to the graduating ministry students. This latest incident is more proof that McCain's choice would be a disaster for America. There is not enough lipstick in the world to cover up Palin's incompetence.
It’s okay to believe that nonsense about Iraq and 9/11 if it helps get you through the night, but if you’re running for the VP of the United States, where your perceptions effect all the rest of us, you need to deal in reality. The reality is, Iraq was not involved with 9/11, period.
And this is the classic Republican tactic. Repeat the lie often enough and it will become the truth. If anyone ever questions the lie, deflect the truth by denying that the lie was told. And then for additional deflection, portray the questioner as Un-American and the liar as a victim. Poor Sarah.
In defending Palin’s statement where she proudly, conflates the hard line Republican stance that Iraq was behind 9/11, Ben Porritt, the spokesman for McCain-Palin said, “In her praise of the brave men and women heading overseas Gov. Palin was clearly stating that our troops are going to Iraq to defend Iraqis and continue the efforts on the ground… Drawing conclusions that she was saying anything else is an overreach.”
No it isn’t clear Ben, but what is clear are Palin’s actual words, “You’ll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of Americans…” Sounds like she’s talking about Iraq and 9/11 to me. “… You’ll be there because America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before Sept. 11, 2001.” What were you listening to Ben, a McCain commercial?
That’s not overreaching. That’s Palin giving us yet another glimpse of how she really perceives the world, and Ben Porrit, a campaign spokesman, yet again with efforts to paint Palin as a victim. The real victims here are Ben Porrit and the rest of Palin’s handlers who will be run ragged by the end of the election, spinning Palin’s lies and misinformation.
Americans are there to defend innocent Iraqi people. Of course Iraq wasnt a part of 9/11, but Al Quieda was. Al Quieda IS in Iraq.
Al Quieda is now in Iraq, but it wasn't before Bush invaded Iraq.
Arguing with a liberal is like wrestling with a pig. You might get covered in lipstick but eventually you end up with bacon. Anyway you liberals aren't thinking, your rationalizing. You might want to look up that concept.
"It is, however, widely believed that al-Qaeda has an active presence in Iraq post-invasion."
It is not 'widely believed', it is fact.
AQI is a key force in Iraq and, though now in shambles, is/was providing money, weapons, equipment and logistics for their own operations and that of other groups fighting the Coalition forces and Iraqi forces.
AQI receives money and other resources from the umbrella organization run by Bin Ladin.
AQ in Iraq swore allegiance to Bin Ladin in 2004 and so became part and parcel of the organization that is directly responsible for 9/11.
YellowDogBill wrote: "No it isn’t clear Ben, but what is clear are Palin’s actual words, “You’ll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of Americans…” Sounds like she’s talking about Iraq and 9/11 to me.""
Bill, Al Qaida are our sworn enemies. As CNN said, they are the deadliest force faced by American/Coalition forces in Iraq.
American forces in Iraq are battling Al Qaida even as we type on our keyboards. That is not news and most people are aware of the concept. Certainly Palin's son and his fellow soldiers are acutely aware of this fact.
Al Qaida in Iraq chose to become an official part of Osama Bin Ladin's Al Qaida in 2004. They even changed their name from "Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad" to "Al Qaida in Iraq".
They are every bit as much a part of Al Qaida than Bin Ladin himself.
Now re-read Palin's words fairly. There is nothing about Saddam's Iraq being responsible for 9/11.
It is a safe bet that every single member of AQI cheered the 3000 deaths on 9/11 whether they had anything to do with it or not. Now, as they have chosen to actually become that very organization that planned and executed that attack, they have chosen their fate.
Truth matters.
Yes truth does matter and the truth includes the fact that two prominent islamic terrorist organizations, HAMAS and the Palestinians(a politically contrived bunch of folks to serve islamic imperialism as islam's "whipping boys"), ENDORSE Barack Hussein Obama.
That fact alone tells caring Americans a great deal about the Marxist, Barack Hussein Obama.
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