A Quick Study? I Think Not.

Honesty in this campaign comes in small increments, one precious moment at a time, and should be treasured for what it is; the opportunity for insights. Laura Bush provided us with one of these rare moments when she declared that Sarah Palin was absolutely not ready to deal with matters of importance when considering candidates. “Of course she doesn’t have that,” said Bush this week when asked if the vice presidential pick had sufficient foreign policy experience. “You know, that’s not been her role. But I think she is a very quick study.” Let's talk about how quick of a study she is. For at least the last two weeks, Palin has been mocked for her statement that her foreign policy experience had been shaped by the fact that one can see Russia from Alaska. Given the opportunity to correct the mocking of this contention during an interview with Katie Couric, Palin made it abundantly clear that she hadn't learned from this earlier painful lesson. She claimed this time that she was qualified to deal with foreign policy because when Putin came to the United States, he flew over Alaska to get here. Honest to God, I am not making this stuff up.

I will quote Palin directly when asked about the bailout during the Couric interview.
" . . . where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh -- it's got to be all about job creation too. Shoring up our economy, and putting it back on the right track. So healthcare reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, um, scary thing, but 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We've got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that."

All this insight from a person, if elected, only one heartbeat of a 72 year old guy with a history of recurrent malignant melanoma away from the presidency.