(CNN) – Sarah Palin did not visit troops in Iraq, a spokesperson for the Republican VP nominee confirmed Saturday, as new details emerged about the extent of the Alaska governor’s foreign travel.
In July of last year, Palin left North America for the first time to visit Alaskan troops stationed in Kuwait. Palin officials originally said her itinerary included U.S. military installations or outposts in Germany and Kuwait, and that she had visited Ireland. An Alaska spokeswoman for Palin had said Iraq was also one of the stops on that trip.
The Boston Globe reported Saturday that Palin visited the Iraqi side of a border crossing - but never journeyed past the checkpoint.
Earlier: McCain defends Palin's experience level
Earlier, campaign aides confirmed reports that Palin’s time in Ireland on that trip had actually been a re-fueling stop.
(UPDATED with campaign statement after the jump)
The Obama camp – which has increasingly accused the McCain campaign of deliberately lying in ads and on the stump – was quick to highlight to that story, along with a news report that explored whether the McCain campaign have been sending out wildly inflated crowd estimates.
The McCain team has twice pointed to law enforcement as the source for those estimates – but the same officials denied to Bloomberg News that they had provided the numbers cited by the Republican nominee’s campaign.
"The McCain campaign said Governor Palin opposed the Bridge to Nowhere, but now we know she supported it,” said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor in a statement. “They said she didn't seek earmarks, but now we know she hired a lobbyist to get millions in pork for her town and her state. They said she visited Iraq, but today we learned that she only stopped at the border. Americans are starting to wonder, is there anything the McCain campaign isn't lying about?”
A Palin spokesperson also confirmed Saturday that the governor had visited Mexico on a personal vacation trip. She has also visited Canada.
UPDATE: The McCain-Palin campaign issued a statement late Saturday in which they said Palin had traveled into Iraq, although she did not go beyond the border crossing:
"Last summer, Governor Palin travelled to Kuwait where she visited Alaskan National Guard troops deployed to the war in Iraq at Camp Arifjen. While she was there she travelled to the K Crossing on the Kuwait-Iraq border, and a quarter mile into Iraq. According to the General who travelled with her, while she was there she presided over a re-enlistment ceremony of an Alaskan National Guard soldier. En route back to the United States, she travelled to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. While in Germany, Governor Palin visited wounded soldiers at the Landstuhl military hospital. She then returned home. She has also visited Canada, as well as Mexico for a vacation."
From CNN Politics
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More lying? They won't stop (republicans) unless the American voters say they've had enough by voting democratic.
Another day, another lie debunked from the McCain/Palin ticket.
While I have a lot of respect for Sarah Palin and can relate to her as an individual – I'm realizing that I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of her as vice-president.
Cnn lovely coverage. what else is new?
we already knew that she was winging through her interview!
Yes, it seems the media has figured out the truth that the McCain campaign has a notable problem with dishonesty and is not letting the republicans cow them. Good for you. the media learned after 9/11 that being fearful of unearthing truth can lead us into bad places. Keep it up CNN.
For America. For us all.
We will not be fooled again. Not if we stay true and firm.
How many more lies before the American people wake up and see what these two and their party are all about. POWER, LIES, WIN AT ANY COST.......... JUST REMEMBER, NO PLANS OR ANYTHING THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR IF THEY GET YET ANOTHER CHANCE TO RUIN THIS COUNTRY.
When did she say she went to Iraq?
Palin–the manufactured "reformer"!! McCain campaign really vetted this one. Nothing but lies!!
Ok! This is starting to become stupid!! All of these dumb accusations!!
Lies and Lies and MORE lies
Sarah Palin said she had a "real responsibilities" in Wasilla a town of around 5,000 when she first became mayor. But how did she handle the job? Palin did not secure the land to build her self-touted indoor sports complex. This led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in EXTRA costs for this small town; already the construction bond was $14.7 million, when the entire city budget was approximately $20 million. Palin raised the city sales tax, a regressive tax that was even on food. See WSJ, 9-6-08
All this was done in a town without a sewer system – surely questionable priorities – but Sarah wanted to be a hockey mom or a pit bull with lipstick.
Sarah Palin did manage to extensively remodel the Wasilla City Hall and had her office redecorated more than once during her tenure as mayor from 1996 to 2002.
Sarah Palin could immeasureably increase the national debt.
So many lies....who is this woman?
I honestly believe the most honest thing to do is for McCain to come clean about Sarah Palin. There is no point lying to the American public because we are not foolish. Why sugar-coat her qualifications? Why lie about earmarks she sought? Why lie about her support for 'bridge to nowhere'? Why lie that she went to Iraq- when in fact she never stepped on Iraqi soil?
Once again, it is proved that the McCain/Palin ticket is being dishonest. It is time the people of this country stood up for what is right. The Republicians refuse to accept any responsibility for the war, for poverty, for un-insured citizens, for our horrible debt , just to name a few things & it was on their watch & their's alone that led us into this horrible mess. Stand up for what is right for the country not just for yourselves. Vote for Barack Obama & Joe Biden. And I used to be Repppublician. No more. Enough is Enough!!
You know, I still can't believe that people are so extensively questioning Sarah Palin's experience to be vice president, but it seems disproportionally more than any questioning that has been done about Barack Obama's experience and he's the candidate for PRESIDENT. She's probably more qualified than he is. He hasn't even written any piece of legislation during his two years in the Senate.
This is the lowest we have seen in Politics.....Palin is running as a Conservative Christian...Both McCain and Palin should be asamed of themselves....I am a Christian and the manipulation and lies from the McCain/Palin ticket is disappointing. The republicans claim to be the moral party....How can you believe anything they say!!!! The press, and the people of the United States should not let the Republican Party get away with this kind of Politics.....
Do they really have to lie about so many things?
Time spent outside of the country is critical to understanding how others in this world view the United States.
Diplomacy and presidential leadership requires this understanding in order to forward our national objectives. We see the consequences of the lack of this understanding of the world in some of our current foreign policy - which republicans intend to continue.
Republican or democrat, I would simply love to have a president who is respected, intelligent and enlightened through travel and experience.
While she has strong core values and American identity, I'm not sure Gov. Palin has developed her ability to relate and communicate outside of her political camp, and I am afraid this will encourage cronyism... I don't see reform in this context.
More McCain-Palin lies. I wonder when the media will get a backbone and start demanding that she give press conferences and interviews that aren't scripted and over-edited.
Journalist have an obligation and the people have a right to hear from Palin – and not the same old rehearsed stump answers and speeches.
SENATOR MCCAIN
" Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
SENATOR MCCAIN IF YOU GET ELECTED WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE CALLED BY WHAT YOU BECAME THIS LAST WEEK THE SLEAZIEST POLETICIAN PROBABLY THIS IS WHY GEORGE BUSH
ATTACK YOUR TEMPER IN 2000.
Palin will be a right wing disaster for USA muich worse than Bush
Wow, another lie for Governor Wingnut - I've honestly lost count.
Not even Spiro Agnew was anywhere near this bad. That's some judgment in picking her, Senator Senile .....
The Repugs will piss on your back and tell you it's raining.
We have had enough of lies from Bush/Cheney, now all of this?
NO MORE PLEASE
Cnn keeps blocking me, but I will try again. This woman has done nothing but lie to the American people since becoming the Republican VP candidate. What will she do once she gets into office?Read the NY Times article on her , section A-1 that will be in sunday's paper!!!
Sounds like McCain has picked a travel partner.