Palin as Commander of the Alaska National Guard? Please.

by: Brandon Friedman

Tue Sep 02, 2008 at 00:36:48 AM EDT


Desperate to prove that Sarah Palin has "national security" credentials, many McCain supporters have turned to her experience "commanding" the Alaska National Guard during her 21 months as governor of the state.

Of course, while these yo-yos might actually believe this nonsense, at bottom it's a pathetic, hail Mary stretch.  Let McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds explain exactly why that is (with a little help from CNN's Campbell Brown):

See?  Doesn't Tucker sound like a complete idiot when he has to defend the idea in public?

Here's the deal: First off, Sarah Palin plays no role as the commander of the Alaska National Guard outside of the state.  She never has, she never will.  The actual commander--Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell--said so himself:

Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, considers Palin "extremely responsive and smart" and says she is in charge when it comes to in-state services, such as emergencies and natural disasters where the National Guard is the first responder.

But, in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, he said he and Palin play no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. The entire operation is under federal control, and the governor is not briefed on situations.

According to Global Security, "the governor commands AKNG [Alaska National Guard] while it is not in active federal service. The principal executive officer of DMVA [Department of Military and Veterans Affairs], the adjutant general, is an appointee of the governor."  

It should be noted, however, that the current adjutant general, Gen. Campbell, was appointed in 2003--more than three years before Palin took office.  So she didn't even make the decision determining who would run the Alaska National Guard.

But Tucker Bounds' wildly misinformed performance on CNN Monday leads to a more troubling question: On Sunday, John McCain himself touted Palin's national security credentials by referring to her experience with the Alaska National Guard.  So the question becomes this: Does John McCain even know what Sarah Palin's role in Alaska is?

As evidence mounts that she wasn't even vetted by the campaign, the answer becomes increasingly clear: Probably not.  Unfortunately for Republicans, this leaves them with a fatally flawed candidate who would likely be a disastrous Commander-in-Chief should anything befall John McCain after the election.  Simply put, there's no way that this woman can be allowed to manage a two-front war.  After eight years of total defense mismanagement, the troops deserve better than this:

Brandon Friedman :: Palin as Commander of the Alaska National Guard? Please.
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Palin as Commander of the Alaska National Guard? Please. | 12 comments
Tucker tries to blur the lines but did a terrible job of it (4.00 / 1)

It is clear that he understands the difference between Federal and state jurisdictions.  However, he tries to blur that line in order to make it appear that Palin had more authority than she really has as Governor of Alaska.  Palin's role in national security is indirect at best and even then her involvement, if any is only enforceable within Alaska borders.  She has no authority outside of the state.  Nor does she have the ability to override Federal authority.  True, as Governor she has direct control of the Alaska National Guard while they are in Alaska and can use them to deal with civil crises (I.E. natural disasters, riots, etc.) that directly affect the state.  However, in the event of a national security crisis such as a war, invasion etc. those National Guard troops can be federalized at the direction of the President.  In that event, she is effectively taken out of the Alaska National Guard chain of command even if that national security crisis just happens to occur within the borders of Alaska.  Her job is simply to govern not to command.  

Sen. Obama on the other hand, as a member of the U.S. Senate is involved in national security matters.  The votes he casts directly affect which way the U.S. will go when a national security event occurs.  Governor Palin has not operated at that level at any point in her career.  

"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home."

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC-43 BC

Does This Tucker (0.00 / 0)
Have any Military experience, doesn't sound like he understands that nor the Chain of Command concept outside of the political of giving the talking points handed to him!

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson
I saw this interview (0.00 / 0)
on CNN and couldn't believe it.  At least CNN's Campbell Brown looked and sounded exasperated at his talking in circles.  It is really really frighterning that they picked this woman. Also, has anyone posted here yet that she had to get a passport to visit the Alaska National Guard in Kuwait and Germany. Does this mean the first time she traveled abroad was in her 40's or did her passport just expire?  Either way, does not sound like this woman has enough experience with other countries or cultures to truly understand foreign policy at its root.
Answered my own question (4.00 / 1)
It appears her FIRST passport was in 2007.  I am sure she thought whichever base she visited in Kuwait was an exotic and dangerous location . . . anyway, even Cindy McCain jumped on the bandwagon that Alaska is close to Russia so that must mean Palin has foreign policy experience.  Yeah, and I live next to Virginia, I must know how to grow tabacco.
[ Parent ]
Since Cambell Brown is 'asking' it makes this more relevant. She is (0.00 / 0)
married to Dan Senor [GOPer and Faux contributor]. I usually find her a little biased. She's on at the same time as KO so don't watch her much.

Another one that sorta was surprising was Mark Halperin at Time.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/0...

Leslle Sanchez who is 'not to be interrupted' and is totally more on point than the VFF guys was cut off on CNN yesterday.

Gotta say that it doesn't sound like she's even spent much time outside of AK and would have very little relationship to most of the good ole rest of the 49.

Translation: Many are concerned about Sarah Barracuda's street creds.

Getting to Know You...in the Brit and Aussie Press (0.00 / 0)
Brits highlight Palin ethics charges
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...

Religious Right split. As CNN/Focus on the Family Tony Perkins and Sen. Brownbeck salute 'PG' issues, others say her family needs Sarah more than McCain
http://www.theaustralian.news....

Aussies also address ethics charges
http://www.theaustralian.news....

If McCain doesn't dump her ... (0.00 / 0)
within a couple of weeks (er, I mean the tried-and-true regardless of why you're being shit-canned "I need-want to spend more time with my family" line), we'll know how dangerously inept he really is.  He may have pandered to the religious base, but the rest of the 'publicans are not happy campers (not that they were before, mind).

The undisputed stories about this woman's lack of judgment are too many, even this soon.  I'll only note four I find most troubling:

1)  Knowing she had a high-risk pregnancy with a Downs Syndrome baby (who regularly need intensive care and can be born with several life-threatening issues requiring immediate surgery), she gets on an 8-hour flight ... plus 2 hours' worth of driving before and/or after the flight ... after her water breaks so that the kid can be "Alaskan born".  That's your reason for putting your kid at risk?  Truly?!  Sounds ridiculous to me.  Being a person ruled by logic/linear thinking, it sounds much more plausible that she may not have been terribly interested in having the child and was unconsciously hoping something would go wrong on the very long trip home.  Either she's dangerously careless and/or she cares more about certain whackadoo notions than her baby's well-being.  Neither is acceptable behavior by a purportedly intelligent person.

2)  Belonging to a group supporting secession of Alaska.

3)  Being for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it  while running for governor (she opposed it post-citizen outcry), and is now declaring she fought against it all along.  Sound like anyone we know?  

4)  Declaring she's against "Washington as usual" while lobbying for the earmarks for her town and the state (only matters to me that McCain supposedly despises them and rails against them).  

The funny one is touting how proud she and hubby are of her daughter choosing to have a baby, when she's entirely against choice of any kind (don't know if her kid is allegedly evangelical, btw).  I'm confused.  Why express pride in a choice when there is no choice (for her), as though the kid were doing something somehow heroic?  That's like expressing pride that the kid is choosing to graduate from high school.  I'd have been just as confounded had she expressed pride at daughter's choice "not to murder my grandchild."  WTF?

... and good luck with that loser would-be son-in-law ("I don't want kids" and "I'm a fucking redneck" on his now-disappeared My Space page).

It's like Christmas in September, I swear.

Sarah forced to withdraw a nominee that she knew had been reprimanded (0.00 / 0)
for sexual harassment...This woman has major issues according to this diary. A long laundry list here.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

"US Soldiers on a Task from God", Palin (0.00 / 0)
Is there 'intelligent' life in the BigMac campaign?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

Tucker apparently forgot about a recent act signed into law to (0.00 / 0)
  The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007 (H.R. 5122) which was signed into law by President Bush on Oct. 17, 2006 effectively allows the President to bypass the state Governor and federalize national guard troops as he deems necessary and without a Governor's approval.  It took effect at the beginning of fiscal year 2007 so technically and legally, Palin (since she assumed office on Dec. 4, 2006) never really was a "Commander in Chief" during the time that she served as Governor.  The President can override her at any time and as he sees fit.  Besides, even if the President didn't bypass her the President still can federalize national guard troops for up to two years so Palin may have never really had any control of those troops at all.  Its funny how the Republican talking points used to define Palin's so called foreign policy credentials are defeated by a Republican backed law.  Below is the section of the law that gives the President that power:

expansion of the President's power to declare martial law under revisions to the Insurrection Act, and take charge of United States National Guard troops without state governor authorization when public order has been lost and the state and its constituted authorities cannot enforce the law;  

"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home."

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC-43 BC

Watching CNN Wed am...Barbara Starr from the Pentagon (0.00 / 0)
offered a dry, boring explanation of the WHO is in charge of the National Guard.

I still recall that dumba$$ LA Gov who was in charge during Katrina saying that 'some of these Guard have just returned from Baghdad and know how to use their rifles'. Fortunately, Gen. Honere arrived and went to the streets with a bull horn telling the troops to put their guns down.

I think I am thankful that Sarah Barracuda was never faced with a state emergency that 'tested her CiC of the AKNG skills...somehow I think she would have gone for shoot first ask questions later.

[ Parent ]
Tucker/McCain campaign is attacking CNN/Campbell Brown... (0.00 / 0)
I already sent several feedbacks with the GLobal Security link supporting Campbell on this issue.

If you want to speak out, here are the links:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/fo...

Palin as Commander of the Alaska National Guard? Please. | 12 comments
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