September 27, 2008, 9:51 PM Palin Contradicts McCain On Pakistan, Seems To Back Obamaâs Position Posted by Scott Conroy| Comments1 (CBS) From CBS News' Scott Conroy: (PHILADELPHIA) Sarah Palin told a customer at a Philadelphia restaurant on Saturday that the United States should âabsolutelyâ launch cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan in the event that it becomes necessary to âstop the terrorists from coming any further in,â a comment similar to the one John McCain condemned Barack Obama for making during last nightâs presidential debate. During Fridayâs debate, Obama criticized the Bush administration for sending billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan without ridding the border region of terrorists. âIf the United States has al Qaeda, bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take them out,â Obama added. McCain fired back hard, arguing that newly elected Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari has had his âhands fullâ and suggesting that Obamaâs tough talk was naïve. âYou donât say that out loud,â McCain said. âIf you have to do things, you have to do things, and you work with the Pakistani government.â Palinâs apparent disagreement with McCainâs position on Pakistan came as the Alaska governor was picking up a couple of cheesesteaks at Tony Lukeâs in South Philadelphia. She was approached by a man wearing a Temple University t-shirt, who later identified himself as Michael Rovito. âHow about the Pakistan situation?â Rovito asked. âWhatâs your thoughts about that.â âIn Pakistan?â Palin responded. âWhatâs going on over there, like Waziristian?â âItâs working with Zardari to make sure that weâre all working together to stop the guys from coming in over the border,â Palin said. âAnd weâll go from there.â âWaziristan is blowing up,â Rovito replied. âYeah, it is,â Palin said. âAnd the economy there is blowing up, too.â âSo we do cross-border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan, you think?â Rovito asked. âIf thatâs what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should,â Palin said. In her first national television interview after becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee, Palin was pressed by ABCâs Charlie Gibson on whether the U.S. should launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan. She said that the United States âmust do whatever it takesâ to thwart Islamic extremists and said, âAmerica has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies.â But Palin did not, at that time, explicitly express her support for cross-border attacks, as she did at the Philadelphia restaurant on Saturday.
One could only dream about another Admiral Stockdale "Why am I here" kind of performance. Btw one of priceless John McCain quotes concerns Dan Quayle "I can't believe a man that handsome would not have an impact"