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In TV interview, Palin defends background, experience

BY TOM BRUNE | tom.brune@newsday.com

September 12, 2008

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announces that she is stepping down from her position as Governor in Wasilla, Alaska. (AP Photo / July 3, 2009)

WASHINGTON - Sarah Palin defended her ability to lead the country and voiced a hard line on Russia and foreign policy in her first major interview as the GOP's vice presidential candidate last night.

Palin, 44, a first-term Alaska governor tapped by Republican John McCain as his running mate two weeks ago, said that when she was asked to run, "I didn't hesitate" and "I didn't blink."

But while saying she's ready to run the country, she admitted she has little foreign policy experience, and did not seem to know the meaning of the controversial Bush Doctrine, which allows pre-emptive U.S. attacks.

In clips of interviews focusing mainly on international issues by anchor Charles Gibson that aired on ABC last night, Palin appeared poised, if at times coached.

Later on Nightline, she said she agreed to disagree with McCain over drilling for oil in Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, which she favors and he has not, and softened her stance on global warming, which unlike McCain, she has said is not man-made.

Her first stumble came when Gibson asked if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine. "In what respect, Charlie?" she replied, venturing "his world view?" When Gibson explained the doctrine, adopted in 2002 after the 9/11 attacks, she endorsed it.

Asked whether Georgia, which Russia recently invaded, and Ukraine should be NATO members, she said yes.

"Under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?" Gibson asked. "Perhaps so," Palin replied. "I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help."

"And you think it would be worth it to the United States, Georgia is worth it ... to go to war, if Russia were to invade?" Gibson asked.

"It doesn't have to lead to war, and it doesn't have to lead, as I said, to a cold war, but economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, again, counting on our allies to help us," she said.

Asked what the United States should do if Israel were to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, she said, "We are friends with Israel," and added, "I don't think we should second-guess the measures they feel they need to take."

She also condoned cross-border attacks into Pakistan, a move McCain warned against because Pakistan is a sovereign country. Democratic candidate Barack Obama said he would be for such a move.

"America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies," she said. "We have got to have all options out there."

Gibson interviewed Palin the day she saw off her son Track, 19, on a military tour of Iraq.

He played a clip of Palin addressing her former church in June, in which she said, "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God." He then asked, "Are we fighting a holy war?" She said it was a reference to Abraham Lincoln's words that we should "pray that we are on God's side."

Gibson then quoted Palin as telling her former church, "There is a plan and it is God's plan." Palin replied, "I believe that there is a plan for this world and that plan for this world is for good."

Palin said she has not traveled abroad much - to Mexico and Canada, and since she became governor, to Kuwait and Germany to visit troops. And she said she has not met with a foreign head of state, but dismissed that experience.

"We've got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time," she said. "It is for no more politics as usual," she said, "and somebody's big fat resume, maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yeah, they have had opportunity to meet heads of state."