NEW YORK (CNN) – Before heading out for a trio of well-publicized meetings with foreign dignitaries on Tuesday, Sarah Palin received a national security briefing from the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Michael McConnell, who met with the governor this morning in her New York hotel.
Palin’s top foreign policy adviser informed reporters of the meeting at a small briefing following Palin’s visits with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
The adviser, Stephen Biegun, formerly a senior official on the National Security Council under President Bush, characterized the intelligence briefing as “routine” and said it was the sort of meeting that “is standard for candidates for the vice president and president.” Biegun said several officials were present to brief Palin.
Palin then departed her hotel for a series of motorcade trips around Manhattan, visiting with foreign leaders for the first time in her career.
“These are relationships that she intuitively understands are very important for the next President and Vice President of the United States,” Biegun said of the meetings.
In those get-togethers, Palin kept the focus primarily on energy issues and the growing influence of Russia, according to Biegun. Palin found Kissinger particularly engrossing - their meeting had been scheduled to last 30 minutes, but the two met for nearly an hour and a half.
“In talking to Dr. Kissinger,” Biegun said, “she certainly had a lot of questions about how the United States can develop a cooperative relationship with Russia, what are some of the unique challenges to the current state of Russia's political development, and having been in particular, some of the recent developments we've seen with Russia - backsliding democracy, Russia’s incursion into Georgia.”
Asked about her meetings with Karzai and Uribe, Biegun said Palin “liked them very much” and “established a great personal rapport.”
With Karzai, Palin chatted for half an hour about John McCain’s desire to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. With Uribe, she listened for about 20 minutes as the president discussed the country’s security situation and its handling of the FARC guerillas.
According to Biegun, “rather than make specific policy prescriptions, she was largely listening, having an exchange of views, and also very interested in forming a relationship with people she met with today.”
Biegun, who is helping prepare Palin for her debate with Sen. Joseph Biden on October 2 in St. Louis, would not say what specific topics the governor was concentrating on in her study sessions.
From CNN Politics
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That would entail all of: "Hi, how are you?". Good, how about you?
"Good, thanks".
The Palin handlers did plenty enough earlier today to show once again that the press is going to be kept at a safe distance...far away.
Enough, MSM. Unleash the hounds and vet this woman properly.
I can't wait until the VP debate. Plain will be going toe to toe with the man who is the current chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and has forgotten more about foreign policy than she could ever learn. If he could call out Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic as a war criminal, I don't think he'll be pulling punches with Palin.
Sarah's gonna get SCHOOLED!
Why is everyone going out of their way to cut her slack? She's in the big leagues and should sink or swim like everyone else. If Obama had picked an inexperienced running mate like Kaine, the Repubs would be having a field day with this. I really dislike the spin for Palin. The hypocricy is deplorable.
When Sarah Palin returns to Alaska in November, she will have a much better picture of the world. It will be a neo-con view, to be sure.
But better than nothing.
Right?
She 's just a loyal party puppet that has no real idea, opinion or legit credential to be President....in the unfortunately very real chance that McCain will be told old/health problems.
Palin is there for pure propaganda and good looks.
just smile and nod honey and wave for the camera. this is it? Obama goes to Europe and world leaders cancel their vacation in Aspen to meet with him. John McCain goes to Bermuda to keep safe off shore accounts...this election is a no brain-er.
You can't make this up! Politics at a new all-time LOW.
Vice president for DUMMIES!!!
It was funny before. Now I'm disgusted and angry with this woman. She deserves no media attention as she refuses to allow the press free access to her.
Palin is a fraud.
just smile and nod honey and wave for the camera. this is it? Obama goes to Europe and world leaders cancel their vacation in Aspen to meet with him. John McCain goes to Bermuda to keep safe off shore accounts...this election is a no brain-er.
P-I-T-I-F-U-L just P-I-T-I-F-U-L
She is just a poser.
Keep up the great work Sarah, we love you here in California! You will be a great VP and it will be nice to NOT have two sleazy corrupt lawyers like Barry and Joey-B. McCain/Palin Rocks 08....wooohoooo!
this woman is such a JOKE!
What a joke this pick for VP is. McCain has put personal gain before the good of the country on an undeniably blatant level with his selection of Palin. She may help him in the polls, but she is in no way prepared to hold a position as signififcant as VP. And god forbid something happens to McCain and she steps into the Presidency.
How can Republicans be so irresponsible? I'm more frightened now at the prospect of a McCain/Palin administration than I have ever been. Can we please grow up and focus on what's important to the country rather than who can score the most political points?
I wouldn't be talkin Sarah
Say it with me folks
H-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e.
Being briefed by the Director of National Intelligence doesn't make her intelligent!
I've read so many comments of people saying that if America votes in McCain/Palin, we deserve what we get. Well, what about the other roughly 50% of us who would be voting for Obama? How do WE deserve getting McCain/Palin?? I sure hope people wake up from this hypnotic trance and see that Obama/Biden are our best hope in turning America around in the right direction. McCain/Palin will continue to take us further down.
She won't know anymore–after the meeting–than she did before!
Out of RESPECT for President Karzai, Palin should have been wearing a pant suit during their meeting.
Afghan women stay covered.
Chalk that one up to a big blunder for the McCain camp!
"Nothing. 3 years as a community organizer and one year in the Senate is not going to cut it"
Wow. Just wow. AMAZING how downright uneducated some of you people are. Though I guess that would explain how you can easily identify with someone like Sarah Palin.
Palin will strut herself up to the micophone, feast her eyes squarely on her teleprompter and blurt out exactly what the scriptwriters have written for her. You can bet, she'll take NO QUESTIONS afterwards!
Palin can only do scripted and staged events.
This is not going to work folks...you just cant come out of the woods get a couple days of briefings and be one heartbeat away from the Presidency....kinda stupid dont ya think?
Veterans for Obama
We are very proud that the UN has become a University for Sarah Palin, but meeting for minutes presidents like Urube, the Georgian bubbling boy (We are all Georgians McCain said) and Karzai will not make anybody an expert in international affairs. She should have met her neighbours: Medvedev and Putin, that was better for her since she could see them from the window of her bedroom. Palin is not ready to be VP and McCain is confused totally, between incompetence and ignorance, this republican ticket is a lost ticket.
I guess Sarah Palin could use all the help she can get to understand anything about foreign policy... or any national issue for that matter. Maybe the Admiral can fill her in on the Bush Doctrine.
DEFEAT MCSAME! VOTE OBAMA!
Turn Right: Are you sure you're not just stuck on "better looking". Looks can't runa country.