Main Stream Media is reporting that McCain is having to “defend” a Palin statement she made while out on the campaign trail at Tony Luke’s in south Philadelphia, PA.
The story goes that “she contradicted his policy against talking publicly about attacking terrorist targets in Pakistan.” Report further states:
McCain chided Democrat Barack Obama during Friday’s presidential debate for saying publicly he supports striking terrorist targets inside Pakistan if the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to do so.
Osama bin Laden and other top al-Qaida leaders are thought to be hiding in tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Obama has said he would support sending American troops into Pakistan to attack such high-value targets.
“You don’t say that out loud,” McCain said during the debate. “If you have to do things, you do things.”
But on Saturday, Palin said much the same thing to a customer at a Philadelphia restaurant, with the press nearby.
“If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should,” Palin said in the exchange, which was captured on video and reported by CBS News.
Even our own FOLO wildly distorts what actually occurred at the restaurant by providing the exchange like this:
… “So we do cross border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan you think?,” Rovito asked.
“If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should,” Palin responded, before moving on to greet other voters.
But the reality is that McCain stated in the debate that, yes we would make strikes into Pakistan but after working through/with the Pakistani government and not just announce that we would unilaterally strike:
I’m not prepared at this time to cut off aid to Pakistan. So I’m not prepared to threaten it, as Senator Obama apparently wants to do, as he has said that he would announce military strikes into Pakistan.
We’ve got to get the support of the people of — of Pakistan. He said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan.
Now, you don’t do that. You don’t say that out loud. If you have to do things, you have to do things, and you work with the Pakistani government.
Which brings us to the whole pertinent exchange Palin was involved in that’s being so distorted:
The governor got a more serious interrogation moments later when Temple graduate student Michael Rovito approached her to inquire about Pakistan.
“How about the Pakistan situation?,” asked Rovito, who said he was not a Palin supporter. “What’s your thoughts about that?”
“In Pakistan?,” she asked, looking surprised.
“It’s working with [Pakistani president] Zardari to make sure that we’re all working together to stop the guys from coming in over the border,” she told him. “And we’ll go from there.”
“So we do cross border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan you think?,” Rovito asked.
“If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should,” Palin responded, before moving on to greet other voters.
Very similar to what John McCain stated in the debate. Work with Pakistan to stop the terrorists. If it takes crossing the border (while working WITH PAKISTAN) then that’s what we have to do. In no way does this contradict what McCain’s position was and is hugely misleading to promote otherwise.
In many people’s desire to paint Palin into the corner of ignorance because of some perceived press performance issues or because of her here-to-for “unknownness”, they drive to spin things that aren’t there into the picture.
Magnolia Tribune
