(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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Why all these constant lies? I just don't get it. They have to know people are going to fact check.
AND
If she crossed the border crossing into Iraq....then she was in Iraq.
The Dems are clealy grasping for straws now that they see they will lose this election.
More Lies...Not a good way to look Presidential
People...are we this stupid to accept this
The people who beat up McCain in 2000 are now working for him
McCain is not the good man he was back then
Now he is just a Rove clone
Just one more lie from John Mccain . How low can a an honerable man go. Aides or not " I'm John Mccain and I apporve this message"
The buck stops with him!
Is anyone here surprised that once again the Republicans are caught in a lie? The theme for these two "mavericks" is how many lies can we get people to swallow?
Ms. Palin,
you're too dumb to understand that Mcshamless and his good ol boys are putting you on
banking on the fact that you are clueless.
i guess i'll never get through your thick skull....
wait, look at GW bush,
you look even dumber than he does,
though you lie just as well!
do your kids a big favor, and bow out before the damage's done, LOL
Just another example of the desparate Republicans. They'll do or say anything if they can get elected...that is, until they get caught.
So what? She is a noble Govenor for visiting Alaskan troops anywhere over there! The Democrats sat on their hands while our men and woman had their lives on the line. Shame on the Democrats!
This McCain Campaign is about lies and distortions, if elected will he and She be believable? I hardly think so.
Given that everything can and will be checked, to lie about your resume is juvenile at best, but the Republicans will swear that it was an error, not a purpose driven lie. The voters will have to be the judge of that!
Clueless Palin!..? Who would have guessed...NOT!
The Obama campaign - which has increasingly accused the McCain campaign of deliberately lying in ads and on the stump - was quick to highlight that story, along with a news report that explored whether the McCain campaign has 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.
What is wrong with the MCcain campaign? LIES,LIES, And MORE LIES.
My flight transit through Paris, London and I have been to Cancun in Mexico for vacation. I have visited Paris and London and Mexico. I have foreign exp. to be US vp, even US president. Oh, I forget to mention, Russia is close to my state, Alaska. You can even see Russia direcly from Alaska. What else do folks want?
More half-truths and spin from Palin and her camp. This woman is strictly about image not substance.
BTW, she's not taking war with Russia off the table
Why don't you post my comments? They are perfectly respectful. Is this China???
You know it's not that Palin/McCain and the Republicans are on the wrong side of every major policy; what really shows me that the Republicans, Palin and McCain has absence of integrity, leadership, lack of respect and loyalty to the American public is the way they presented her to us on a shiny platter of half-truths and lies. McCain is 72 years old and still doesn't know the difference between truth and lies...that's a Maverick?
Next the gov will be saying she dated Sgt. Preston of the yukon!
SO what does this have to do with it? It's not like OBAMA is a world traveler and a expert in foreighn affairs either. What he knows is what he learned from his Muslim Father.
Has this bimbo told the truth about anything?
Not surprising since many of her claims of her "experience" are quite questionable with regard to the position she is expecting us to approve her for. One only has to read the Alaskan news sources to find out just who she is. And according to what I have read, she certainly doesn't deserve to be VP of this country.
The media is making up lies about Palin.
Why would she have ever gone there? Obama only went in the past couple of months to play backetball as a vote getting scheme.
I can't believe Barack is slimeballing McCain Palin in the middle of the tragedy in Galveston...pathetic.
Disgusting woman. i do have higher faith in America to vote the right team in than what the polls recently showed. Obama clearly has his faults as well and I'm not a Democrat, but he is clearly a better choice.
Lies, lies, lies... that's all McCain and Palin are experienced in! If somehow American's are stupid enough to be tricked again... like we were in the last 2 elections... I don't think I want to be here anymore. I am seriously losing faith in my fellow countrymen, and if by some miraculous stroke, Obama doesn't win, I believe America will have reached a point of n return.
Obama/Biden 08'
The ONLY change I believe in!