Palin: Defense cuts are 'a sign of weakness'
(CNN) - In her strongest public remarks to date on the matter, Sarah Palin admonished the Obama adminstration on Saturday for proposing cuts to Alaska's missile defense network, a move she said would leave her state and the rest of the country vulnerable in the case of a future attack.
The administration cuts, which were announced by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in April and would be enacted in the next fiscal year, would trim $1.2 billion from the Pentagon's missile defense programs. The expansion of a missile field in Fort Greely, Alaska would be halted under the proposed budget.
"Reducing Alaska's defense readiness in these perilous times is a show of weakness, it is not a sign of strength," Palin said during a celebration in upstate New York honoring native son William Seward, who negotiated the purchase of Alaska in 1867 as Secretary of State. Video of the speech was posted by the Web site "Conservatives4Palin."
Palin said Alaska's missile defense system is now more vital than ever, particularly in the wake of North Korea's recent nuclear and missile tests. She said a missile fired from North Korea could easily reach Alaska and other parts of the country.
"And yet, Washington thinks it's best now to actually cut defense spending in Alaska by hundreds of millions of dollars," she said. "Now that is an odd priority there."
Palin said she will "argue with every ounce of my being for Washington to pay attention."
"That is not always easy, but it is right," she said. "It is clear to many that some of our priorities as a nation are kind of reversed, and it is my imperative, and it should be all of our imperative, that we get our government priorities right, because if they are misdirected, obviously America is going turn into something that we don't recognize."
At another moment during her speech, the former vice presidential candidate got a cheer from the crowd by repeating a line of attack that was frequently used against Obama during last year's presidential campaign.
Palin explained that Alaskans believe in "the roots of our country, so deep, so strong."
"They're what we need to cling to," she said. "Clinging to, you know, that includes our clinging to our second amendment rights, and our faith in God. Many of us do cling to that strong faith in God."
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Keep it up, Governor! We back you 100%!! All that these looney lefties can say is Palin who?...Go away Palin!...Though some will see the light and come around sooner or later.
We Love you!
Some people in the republican party (ie: Sarah, Rush, Gingrich, Cheney) should not talk. the more they talk, the more the party is getting hurt. The party should look beyond the familiar faces., aren't these faces brought the party down in the first place?
America spends more on defense than the rest of the world combined. Cutting some of that spending is more of a sign that we're letting up on our paranoia than weakness.
I look forward to Barbie running in 12. She will destroy what ever candidate comes out of the GOP. The tactics she employs in a campaign will fatally wound who ever gets the nomination. So I see keep on running your mouth Barbie and I hope you do run in 12.
Sarah, dear, you are rambling again.
Actually she never said that she could see Russia from her home. It was Tina Fey the commediane who said that on SNL.
I do not agree with her on a number of issues, but I think she is absolutely right in her point that we need a strong defense.
Hmmm...she fights tooth and nail to get defense money into her state, yet hedges about stimulus money to get Alaskans back to work. Sounds like she's more interested in lining defense contractors' pockets than she is in getting Alaskans back to work. How shameful!
Commenter/quote of the day:
*Have no fear Rev. Wright is here June 7th, 2009 12:32 pm ET
Palin is right, it's because he loves his Muslim brothers more than America……*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you spewers of talking points even listen to yourselves? Are you so deeply into cognitive dissonance that you can't recognize the inherent contradictions of your screeds?
Why are the media still listening to this loser? Is she going to spend the next three years trying again - this time for president? Egads, say not so!
Well for someone that can see Russia from her back porch, and doesn't really know anything about current events...this makes a lot of sense...why don't she just go away and work on funding that road to nowhere in Alaska.
Sarah Palin is not smart enough to hold public office or advise those who hold such offices.
Palin you are right!
She is right even if you don't like her!
Thiscoming from a complete liar and stupid idiot.
Does the party of NO ever learn a lesson from their own mistakes and cheap talks.
How long will it take us to leave the Bush legacy of "shoot first and ask questions later" behind us?
Lets ask bill clinton about the Passive years.
She's right. Obama is all touchy feely. If the feds want to blow $1 trillion on pork, let it at least be military pork.
It's not weakness, governor. You just don't recognize more than one knd of strength.
Sarah, go tend to your FAMILY. They actually "NEED" you. You betcha! (wink)
All of you are delusional to think downsizing our national defense will make us safer. And to refuse to see where O is taking this country, well.....all I can say is thank God more people are waking up to his nefarious ways. You are living in what is called "willful ignorance" & have no reasonable argument against Palin. Sorry people, but Sarah is not going away.
I have no doubt that Palin will agrue with every ounce of her being if she thinks it will keep her in the spotlight and get her state's federal gravy back at the same time.
thanks mccain for putting her in the spot light.
Yeah because if I was a foreign power wanting to inflict damage on the US, the target I would pick would be the least densely populated state of that country. Get over youself Palin, why dont you go teach your daughter how to keep her legs closed and let the people with 3+ digit IQ's worry about running this country.
I am frankly tired of hearing Palin's name. Her credentials are random community colleges, mayor of a town the size of a Dairy Queen at lunchtime, and Governer of a state with a huge poverty rate. Even McCain and his fellow Republicans have distanced themselves from her. I would say her 15 minutes of fame should be stuffed and hung next to the elk head on her wall.
Let's see if I get this right. 1. Caribou Barbie knows more than Secretary Gates and the rest of the generals at the Pentagon. 2. She toys with the notion of succession, yets wants government funding for Alaska. 3. I still see no solutions offered as to what to do with crazy North Korea. Shall we just nuke them (and Iran, Pakistan, Cuba - and any other threat) and just get it over with? Palin is sad vestage of the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ike. It is even more devastating to the idea that Americans have any sense of critical thinking that so many give her credence.
As a republican. I am trying to decide who is doing the most damage to the GOP? Is it Limbaugh , Hannity , Palin , or Dick Cheney ? They all spew forth nothing but fear mongering and ignorance. When he was vice President you never heard from Dick. Now he is on TV every day ranting and fear mongering. He acts like the consumate neo con except of course where Gay Marriage is concerned. Then he backs off because of his Lesbian Daughter. What a selfish hipocrite he is!
Do the Republicans a favor Dick. Retire into quiet obscurity like former President Bush.