(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
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Are McPalin are there any more retractions i.e. bridge nowhere and the extent of your executive experience.
another lie by the by the McCain campaign.
If this was Obama flip-flopping of where he had been! People would say this is why we are not comfortable with him!
But if it is Palin then hey it's not her fault that she did not set the record straight, its "law enforcement that is the source for those estimates" The McCain campaign are pretty sure what Obama's records are or lack thereof but they sure get amnesia when it comes to Palin:- Bridge to Nowhere supported then rejected BUT kept the money, asked that brother in-law be fired, but somehow that is also part of the amnesia.
How sad that McCain had to pick a candidate with a uterus to feel that he somehow can distract from his own poor record. This intemperate little Mussolini has no new ideas, and he picked Palin because, in his ignorance, he believed woman would vote for her. How disrespectful to think that women don't look at the issues, but rather at gender only. The republicans are a party of old ideas, nothing fresh or new. And because of this dearth of anything intelligent they resort to lies and innuendos against their opponents. This may have worked in 2000 and 2004, but its obvious the american people have woken up to this bad act. I suggest McCain/Palin drop out of the race and that we declare Obama/Biden the winners by proclamation.
Just another stop on the BS Express!!!
Drip, Drip, Drip. Lie here, lie there, and lie all the time.
Dear Gov Palin – the more I listen to you the more I realize that you are just like the rest of the Repubs – LIE LIE LIE – you lie so much that you are really starting to believe – here is some truth for you I am sure that McSame is sorry that he picked you.
PEOPLE PLEASE SEE THAT THIS PALIN PICK WAS A POLITICAL MOVE ON MCCAIN'S BEHALF. THEY KEEP LYING. YOU KNOW THE OLD SAYING WHEN YOU LIE SO MUCH YOU START TO BELIEVE YOUR OWN LIES.
Did you see this poser fumble her way through her interview. That is after two weeks of media blackout coaching! Wake up America, this bimbo could be posing her way into the oval office!
LIES..... We spend our time being interested in Politics on constantly reading the LIES Republicans has to FIX after they're proven wrong.
LIES LIES LIES......Put an END TO THIS...
PALIN is PATHETIC!
What on earth is the matter with these people? The McCain campaign couldn't tell the truth even if it benefited them. They can't help but to lie, it is sad... Obama/Biden 08
This is not a surprise to me. The Mccain campaign is a joke. Mavericks, Reformers, and Change agents. Yeah, right. They can't tell the truth during the campaign, how are we supposed to believe they would fight for us and change Washington. It seems as though Palin/Mccain is the ones who need to be changed.
Go Sarah!!!!!!!!!!!
At least she visited the wounded troops...that more than you can say for Nobama!!!
world traveled yeah right! send this to fox
The ticket of lies, not reform.
Another lie. Another padded resume. I hope the press holds McCain's and Palin's feet to the fire.
Whoa.!!!!!!!!!!!!..ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!..How many more lies from this campaign..She cannot be VP of the United Staes with lies like this..!!!!!!!..Everyone must know this!!!!!!!!
Seriously! Leave this woman alone already!
Lies and deceit as usaul. Nothing new here.
Please stop gobbling up news time on Sarah cause we just about had enough of her. She's just like a Miss Universe contestant who's been tutored and prepped to answer questions. Please Please stop concentrating on her and her poor abilities and great inabilities.
I am quite sure there is a lot more to come out about Palin
This is just the tip of the Iceberg.
Mcbush is a fool anyone with an iota of knowledge knows she is underquqlified.
Talk about boosting your resume. I'm beginning to think she's really delusional. How could you not keep up with what's true or not and they're not even in the White House yet? No with my vote!
Okay, she did not need to visit the entire troop at this time. She was a governor for the state of Alaska. She visited the Alaskan troops. She had more than fullfilled her duty as a governor.
Being part of a presidential ticket was not even on her mind at this point in time.
yeah but she does stare at an uninhabited area of russia regularly. i feel som much safer. NOT!!!
Watching the Interviews, I couldn't believe that she actually feels she's READY TO BE PRESIDENT!!!
That alone tells us how stupid she must be, how smug and cocky and arrogant... what an ego! As for her words, yes... Gibson referred to them as a bilzzard of words... She talked in circles, empty circles...
She's simply too stupid to realize how far over her head she is... it's just unbelievable!
Pru in Tigard