Sarah Palin Has Zero Military Cred
For some strange unexplicable reason, Thomas Donnelly (AEI defense analyst, former PNAC deputy executive director) felt compelled to endorse Sarah Palin's insights on national security issues in an article in the Washington Post Thursday. I resisted the urge to ruin a casual Friday, so here it is today. Tom, what the HELL where you thinking? Were you in fact thinking at all?
"In the conservative ranks and within the party, she's really quite a crucial piece in this puzzle," said Tom Donnelly, a defense fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "She's got both political and tea-party/small-government bona fides, but she also has a lot of credibility in advocating for military strength."
This was in response to Palin's commentary on SecDef Gates' attempts to control a defense budget that has doubled over the past decade, that has seen acquisition projects skyrocket in terms of cost and schedule delays, that (combined with combat operations) has limited our ability to modernize the force.
"Something has to be done urgently to stop the out-of-control Obama-Reid-Pelosi spending machine, and no government agency should be immune from budget scrutiny," she said. "We must make sure, however, that we do nothing to undermine the effectiveness of our military. If we lose wars, if we lose the ability to deter adversaries, if we lose the ability to provide security for ourselves and for our allies, we risk losing all that makes America great. That is a price we cannot afford to pay."
-------------
"Secretary Gates recently spoke about the future of the U.S. Navy. He said we have to ask whether the nation can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 [billion] to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines and $11 billion carriers. He went on to ask, 'Do we really need . . . more strike groups for another 30 years when no other country has more than one?' " Palin said. "Well, my answer is pretty simple: Yes, we can and yes, we do, because we must."
Honestly, this level of rhetoric might not sound foolish coming out of the mouth of a 12-year old, but this is someone who purports herself to be a national leader in the conservative movement. The ignorance involved in her statement should clang like lead weights in any serious defense analyst's mind. America's greatness isn't solely based on its military power - we've been able to succeed as a nation despite setbacks like Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, and yes, Iraq and Afghanistan today. But really, what puts the icing on the cake is that simplistic mush "we can and yes, we do" spend billions of dollars on modernizing military forces "because we must."
If anything disqualifies Sarah Palin as a serious candidate for national office, it ought to be that statement, that she cannot fathom a situation where we have to reduce the defense budget from $700 billion a year back down into the $300-400 billion a year range. She must have no understanding about the need for defense acquisition reform or to develop a defense budget while recognizing the need to fund the rest of the federal government, because no one who has seriously examined defense issues would make such an idiotic statement.
So, Mr. Donnelly, when you say that Sarah Palin has "a lot of credibility in advocating for military strength," were you misquoted, drunk, half-awake, or merely being a syphocant for the current darling of the Tea Party movement? Do you want to lose all of your own credibility in discussing defense issues within the context of the conservative movement? Or were you just reinforcing the Republican party's usual lack of seriousness when it comes to discussing national security issues?
Jason you don't actually think for a second do you that a serious analyst would have anything to do with the AEI or PNAC do you?
"...when you say that Sarah Palin has "a lot of credibility in advocating for military strength," were you misquoted, drunk, half-awake, or merely being a syphocant for the current darling of the Tea Party movement?"
I think he's saying that she'll be as easy to manipulate as Duhbya. Just point her in the right direction, tell her what to sign, and the glory day$ will be upon us!
According to Paul Speaking in Tongues is the least of all powers.
If you Read the Bible you would learn that Speaking in tongues should be done while in private and in Meetings only if they can be interpreted by another Member of the Group otherwise keep your mouth shut. Fifty people shouting in Tongues is disruptive to others and could frighten off potential new members. ORDER not DISORDER in gatherings is the word of the day.
Donaldd
Seriously, what creds does she have about anything? Her new SarahPac ad was shown on each Sunday morning show I have seen so far. She could cough and the media is there to cover it and give her more free air time.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
opinion, she was Alaskan Gov and that made he equiv to a General in Charge of the ANG.
why people are drawn to Sarah and her political OPPORTUNISM. She's on Twitter, facebook, and FOX NOISE... and sometimes I actually SEE people nod in approval over Palin's comments. Back in TX, in casual conversation, when a next door neighbor lady learned that I had worked and lived in Alaska, she responded with... "Oh, I sure like Saran Palin, don't you?" I said, "Frankly, no. I don't like ANYTHING about her..." she looked at me like I WAS CRAZY!
Heaven help us all.
I'd say people are drawn to her because they feel she is like them, or at least what they aim to be(I know its crazy). God centered,standing up for her idea of American values(which don't match my concepts),and otherwise a sensitive but hardnose take no prisoners approach.
I'm not saying I agree with this. I'm saying this is the fantasy they built in their head. It matters not that shes dumber than a 2X4, she is just like them and that is why they love her.
_Personally I find her catty,banal and not at all God centered even on their terms. Her lack of grasp on issues and reality is the part we all see that they don't really care about. They just want a fellow traveler. That's their requirement. It's why these theocrats and kneejerk conservatives should never be in positions of power.
ronspri,
People are drawn to Palin for the same reason they were drawn to President Bush.
Most Americans don't pay close attention, or spend their sunday mornings reading, watching booblehead shows and discussing issues on blogs like this. Those people are convinced by a lazy media that the way to be presidential is to occasionally make a speech, attend a G8 or G20 now and again, look virile cutting brush, and be the guy we want to have a beer with. They're not asked to educate themselves before stepping into a polling booth, or make a sacrifice, or even think. They've been convinceed it's not the most difficult job in the world. Beyond every congress person or senator, lots of Americans believe "I could do that job".
Sarah Palin is the epitome of that thought process. People feel that she's "one of us", and she's made it, for us.
Personally, I don't want one of me to be president. I wasn't the smarteset guy in class, that's who I want. I want the president of the Harvard Review.
Sarah Palin supporters have no understanding of the world we live in, if they believe she is capable of being the most powerful person in that world.
Palin is at odds with both the anti-government elements of the Tea Party as well as devoid of understanding of what specifically curbs the liberties of the American people, i.e., the national security imperative.
Palin's spend, spend, spend approach to national security is a quaint recalling of President Reagan's ideas during the Cold War. It demonstrates complete ignorance of Kennedy's warnings in The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. We're an empire that is "overstretched" and carrying a national debt that will limit our strategic reach moving forward.
When are the Dems going to start making hay of her sheer ignorance?
"The antidote to bad speech is more speech." ~~J.S. Mill
The Dems will have a "foot to stand on" just as soon as they "VOTE" to reduce the pentagon's budget. ...which will be soon (NOT)
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
"whether the nation can really afford something"???
(and is?) ..."attempting to control a defense budget that has doubled over the past decade"
(I don't believe it)
"zero cred vs. zero cred"
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
"Zero Military Cred?"
Palin knows a guy who has been in the military and she can see Russia from her porch.
She is the best most qualified GOP candidate ever.
You betcha!
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
strut around on an aircraft carrier like Chimpy "Toga-partier" McFlightsuit and the Pugs would have a crack party at the local truck-stop and Fiddle saloon. They'd probably hire some Russian illegals to be ice bucket boys.
http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/2000/Tog...
She will rubber stamp whatever people with money and power ask her to, AND succeed in selling it to America's rubes.
care - they really don't care what anyone on their side says or does, no matter how outlandish the lie or behavior.
Secretly visit bothals? - Poll numbers sky high; call the President of the United States a dangerous, socialist/communist/Muslim, illegal alien? - Poll numbers even higher; call for Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid or the president to meet an untimely end? - applause, applause.
This country seriously has gone crazy. And when the morally bankrupt republicans take over, grab back their white, rich, corporate, theocratic "freedoms" and begin taking away what the rest of us have worked so hard for the past couple of hundred years, then the real angst will begin.
Sarah is their Manchurian Candidate - as her father said, "they" tell her what to say. Yep, we're in for some alternate reality future.
Palin is a complete buffoon , period , end of story , no surprise that a "former PNAC ( project for the new American century ) deputy executive director" , a paranoid chicken hawk , a control and dominate the world freak / war monger , would be saying "Palin has credibility advocating for military strength " , what exactly does that mean anyway ? The bimbo supports the insane spending on the occupations and on the military , therefore she is credible ? From her area in Alaska she could see some uninhabited island that's in Russian territory so she has knowledge and is credible when it comes to defense and the military ? Just about anytime a conservative speaks , particularly a whack job neocon from the PNAC , it's an absurdity .
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
are you talking about Gates or Palin?
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
I cant Palin at all
See in their world there is always a reason to advocate for military spending. Evil is out there! They want to destroy us! Spend,spend,spend, let our heros keep us safe!
Gezz!
"America's greatness isn't solely based on its military power - we've been able to succeed as a nation despite setbacks like Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, and yes, Iraq and Afghanistan today."
I would say, quite ironically, that America's greatness was always best demonstrated when we DIDN'T employ our military might.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
after 9/11 happened, my greatest hope was that we wouldn't take this outside the borders. I was devastated when president Asshat did exactly that. I mean bereft. Inconsolable.
I felt that if we'd worked on this from within, we could have built on the tons of goodwill we were granted by the world based on the 9/11 event. But like everything else (the budget surplus, safety regulations, the treasury, other peoples' lives), that GDCSer couldn't wait to squander that. That was not his to throw away.
me-oww!
Gene, I have no idea your faith or if you have any but your statement sounds a lot more God centered than those coming from the right.
"Do you want to lose all of your own credibility in discussing defense issues within the context of the conservative movement?"
This is the most important question as far as Mr. Donnelly is concerned because as of right now he has NO credibility. Because of this article I will never read anything Mr. Donnelly has to say ever unless somebody happens to show me something else he writes that makes some kind of sense. As it is he is just stupid in my mind.
For Palin to have any credibility as far as military affairs are concerned she would have to show me on a map where a few different countries are located. Especially the country of Africa.
when she's at home, anyway,
me-oww!
I'd love to show her a blank map of say, southwest asia, and ask to her label the different countries for me. Then I would laugh my ass off. She is so goddamn clueless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPwPo-IAQ-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FTLD6idBjA
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-FYyuvrRk&fe...
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
Let's make that guy senate leader. I'm betting the milquetoasting around would end. I'm betting Progressive ideals would get a far better airing.
Someone should ask her, what are the names of the last three non-fiction books that you read?
TV, and my bank book.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
She'd do that with a straight face, too.
That she was clueless was evident on Day One, once McCain announced her as his running mate. Now, his failed ploy of bringing on a youthful populist to offset his elderly crankiness has become the Monster that they can't control.
Same clueless tune being played today. Tune hasn't changed. And the presumed empress is wearing her clothes, according to those who are unable to intellectually process the reality.
success = still exist?
Cue the Kabuki....
Translation: "She's a good, unreflective, right-wing war monger, and giving her the purse strings would make my bosses in the MIC real happy."
We need to be challenging their credentials on exclusivity on "Gods' word".
Preemptive war,torture,blatant prejudice and bigotry,worshiping of the wealthy and derision of the poor.
They are far from anything I learned in church as a child o some 40+ years ago. Everybody is entitled to the faith of their choosing but the one they've dug up is not the one that it claims to be.
"If we lose wars"
Please tell me in our current wars how we win. Do we win when the bow to our wishes? When they have a government or culture like ours? When they quit in fighting?
If that is the case then we are now at permanent,perpetual war.
If she runs again, will this be her campaign theme song?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCxMeg7-JAY&fe...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Is an individual without character or loyalty, and a worthless name to accept responsibility for this great country.
She just grows more irrelevant. It's too funny. Silly b_ _ _ _. I almost never think about her anymore.I'll be glad when she fades away forever, which will be sometime next week. I'm surprised she hasn't demanded her old job back.
of what that cartoon said. It doesn't mean that "only god can hear you". It means that EVERYONE can understand you no matter what language they speak! So stupid...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia
Comments are closed on this entry