R O B O T P A C I F I E R

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NEW YORK - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin defended her remark that the close proximity of Russia to her home state of Alaska gives her foreign policy experience, explaining in a CBS interview airing Thursday that "we have trade missions back and forth."

Palin has never visited Russia and until last year the 44-year-old Alaska governor had never traveled outside North America. She also had never met a foreign leader until her trip this week to New York. In the CBS interview, she did not offer any examples of having been involved in any negotiations with the Russians.

Palin's foreign policy experience came up when she gave her first major interview, on Sept. 11 to ABC News. Asked what insight she had gained from living so close to Russia, she said: "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

I just want to point out that she's merely commenting that a connection was made between her eyeball and her brain. She reported that she saw a landmass across a body of water. That doesn't count as a thought. You have to actually think to have an insight.

In the interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric, Palin said: "It's funny that a comment like that was, kind of made to ... I don't know, you know? Reporters ..."

Couric said, "Mock?"

"Yeah," Palin said, "mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah."

When Couric asked how Alaska's closeness to Russia enhanced her foreign policy experience, Palin said, "Well, it certainly does because our ... our next-door neighbors are foreign countries." Alaska shares a border with Canada.

So she knows that Russia is close to Alaska. So do most fifth graders. I thought Doonesbury was being tough on her. I was wrong. What really is interesting is that way no one is really disturbed by this. Her answers should be jaw-droppingly embarrassing. Republicans should be shocked that she was picked. Then I remember Dan Quayle, and Dubya's re-election. So ladies and bots, meet your next V.P.

One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.
Dan Quayle, 12/6/89

posted by rp @ 2:26 PM