Alaska near Russia = foreign policy experience?

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — When presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate last Friday, the Arizona senator emphasized her role as the commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard.

Later, when questions were raised about Palin's lack of experience in national and international affairs, the McCain campaign pointed again to her military command experience as governor. Some reporters have tried to follow up.

"Can you tell me one decision that she made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard?" CNN journalist Campbell Brown asked Monday while interviewing McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds. "Just one?"

Bounds couldn't, because Palin has never personally ordered the state guard to do anything.

Instead, here's what he said: "Any decision she has made as the commander of the (Alaska) National Guard that's deployed overseas is more of a decision than Barack Obama's been making as he's been running for president for the last two years."

However, the governor has no command authority overseas or anywhere in the United States other than Alaska, said Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, the service commander of the Alaska National Guard.

"When members of the National Guard are federalized, they work for the president," Campbell said Wednesday. "It's not just overseas. They could be federalized to go to other states or they could even be federalized in the state."

The Alaska National Guard receives about 75 percent of its funding from the federal government, Campbell said. All the federal funding is pre-allocated by Congress.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/51665.html

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[AnchorageDentist]

Seriously that was a crazy 2008 campaign. Will 2012 ever heat up?

[Nidsnidsnids]

Correction, that is false, Martin Luther King Jr. did not fight to get a black man in office. He faught for (as stated in his speechs) a person oh integrity and honor to be in a seat of power. Regardless of their skin colour or ethnic background, Asian, Black, Latino, White, Native, or whatever. He probably didnt care if you were purple for Gawds sake. Aslong as you are a good human being. I say people power. HUMAN POWER! Power to all the people in the world.

[ducktape01]

This comment is meant for Yilim30 aka The Bigot.

[ducktape01]

Go spread your bigotry and ignorance elsewhere

Yes Obama will be the next president of the United States.

You however will still be an ignorant white racist.

[yiliam30]

Obama for real change on the white house

Black power we are about to make the king's dream come true

OBAMA POWER 08

[southswin]

my mom lives in Florida so that makes her an expert on Cuba and foriegn policy.

[jeffidiyah]

Tucker Bounds is a tool.

[gride555]

I wish I knew more about politics, but I gotta say the comments you all are posting are fantastic. Arguments need to be supported by research, which many of you are doing. To many people vote based off of what they hear, opposed to what is really going on and our actual, knowledgable opinions of it. well done. I wish everyone who votes knew half of what you all seem to know.

[SurfCitySolar]

RE: The Campbell Brown Tucker Bounds interview:

Campbell Brown asked about Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience. Tucker Bounds response was that she had foreign policy experience deploying National Gaurd OVERSEAS. Sarah Palin had nothing to do with deploying National Gaurd overseas.

Deploying the National Guard domestically has nothing to do with foreign policy.

[DelValle1980]

What are talking about? You are not saying anything contrary to what I'm saying. Been born an American means, been a US Citizen by birth (AKA Natural born Citizen) and that's the only requirement (Plus age and residence) to be President of the United States.