CNN’s Zain Verjee to Sec. Rice: Palin Not ‘Able to Handle’ Foreign Policy

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Zain Verjee, CNN State Department Correspondent, and Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | NewsBusters.orgCNN’s State Department correspondent Zain Verjee insisted that Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin "just won't be able to handle" foreign crises like the conflict between Russia and Georgia during an interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice which aired on Monday’s American Morning.

At the beginning of the short interview, Rice complimented the Alaska governor for her "terrific speech" at the Republican convention. Verjee then asked, "Does she have enough experience to handle the kind of things that you need to have?" When the Secretary brushed aside the question, Verjee pressed her on the experience question: "But, a lot of Republicans are also saying that she just lacks the experience. I mean, you can dispatch Vice President Cheney to deal with the Ukraine and Georgia. But Sarah Palin just won't be able to handle it."

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In response to Verjee’s matter-of-fact statement, Rice replied, "There are different kinds of experiences in life that help one to deal with matters of foreign policy."

The full transcript of the interview, which aired 5 minutes into the 8 am Eastern hour of Monday’s American Morning:

KIRAN CHETRY: Well, one of the big questions about Sarah Palin is whether she has enough foreign policy experience to be vice president. Well, our Zain Verjee caught up with a woman who has -- who has a lot of foreign policy experience of her own. That's our Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

ZAIN VERJEE: Kiran, Secretary of State's Condoleezza Rice was in Libya, to meet with Muammar Qadhafi. While she was here, we asked her to weigh in on the question of Governor Sarah Palin's experience.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE (from taped interview): I thought that Sarah Palin gave a terrific speech, and not to get into the politics of it -- you know, she's governor of a state here in the United States and she came across extremely well.

VERJEE: Does she have enough experience to handle the kind of things that you need to have?

RICE: These are decisions that Senator McCain has made. I have great confidence in him. I'm not going to get involved in this political campaign, because as Secretary of State, I don't do that. But, I thought her speech was wonderful.

VERJEE: But, a lot of Republicans are also saying that she just lacks the experience. I mean, you can dispatch Vice President Cheney to deal with the Ukraine and Georgia. But Sarah Palin just won't be able to handle it.

RICE: There are different kinds of experiences in life that help one to deal with matters of foreign policy.

VERJEE (on-camera): There was a lot of speculation that Secretary Rice herself could become the Republican vice presidential candidate. But she's always maintained that she just wants to go back to Stanford to teach.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.


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VERJEE: But, a lot of

VERJEE: But, a lot of Republicans are also saying that she just lacks the experience.

Okay I'm serious can anyone here tell me which Republican made that statement? I just want to know if what she said was true or was she just blowing smoke, because as far as I can tell I don't remember any Republicans making any comments like that.

"9 out of 10 doctors agree that flag burning is the number one killer of liberals."

Chevy

I've not heard any Republicans that are concerned about Sarah dealing in Foreign affairs either. In fact they are energized by the possibility that she won't just "sit down with them for a talk",  like Barak has proposed.

Some of the same concerns were voiced about Condoleeza Rice herself when she took over the State Department. If the negative commentators will notice, Condi has done pretty well.

The most exciting effect for most everyone that I talk with, is that the gloves have been thrown to the ice and we're not allowing others here and abroad to just slam us into the boards. I think even non-hockey fans can appreciate this change in approach to playing fair, playing well, playing hard, and not allowing others to push you around.

I believe Charles

I believe Charles Krauthammer has expressed concern about her experience. Still, I'm not really sure what her point is. I'm sure there are some Republicans who are concerned about her so-called lack of experience.There are no absolutes in politics. We don't all use the same brain.

The real question is why is this woman so concerned about our VPs "lack" of experience, but not concerned at all with her presidential candidate's complete lack of experience?

Because she's a partisan hack, that's why. 

I think it was Gergen,

I think it was Gergen, Jeffords, Chafee, maybe Hagel...

 

Okay, I'm not serious... then again.

I just wanted to make sure

I just wanted to make sure she was just not talking out of the side of her neck assuming we are to stupid to investigate her claim.

Thanks.

She cant be serious

She makes the comment about Palin not being able to handle the Georgian situation; yet they gave Obama a pass when he suggested that the situation should be reffered to the UN Securtiy Council for action.  Hello Obama, Russia has a Veto on the Security Council, so Russia would use that Veto to stop in action against them from passing.

And this is the guy they want to be President.....

I think you guys are

I think you guys are missing the real point here. The media and the Obama campaign have completely lost their focus. This campaign has turned into a fight between Obama (president) and Sarah (vice president). The Dems are conceding the point that their top pick can't hold a candle to John McCain. By their focus on Sarah, McCain has been declared to be the best choice for president, both by the campaign and the MSM. His credentials are untouchable, by either Obama or Biden.

"Vote for Obama because he's better than the Republican's VP candidate." What a stupid argument that a lot of sheeple are falling for.

But what it does is it leaves McCain unchallenged, and it leaves Biden on the outside looking in. Biden can't attack Sarah, at least not before the debates, or it will look like the nasty men are ganging up on that poor woman. And he can't go after McCain because he has praised McCain in the past. He is rendered powerless.

The sad thing for Dems is that their #1 is actually losing ground to the Repubs #2. 

Ecclesiastes 10:2 - "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."

Even if Vergee wants to come off as a ..

Vergee: ..But Sarah Palin just won't be able to handle it."

Even if Vergee wants to come off as a .. biased political pundit posing as a reporter, she shouldn't have poised her view on Gov. Palin's abilities; rather, she should have simply asked the question: "Sec. Rice. Do you believe Sarah Palin will be able to handle the job?"

Or / well, she could have poised it this way - using the imaginary 3rd person who exists in the second non-thinking emotional brain of our MSM journalists: "Sec. Rice. "Many people are being heard saying, that.... do you think they have it wrong um, right?"

HMMMM

 

Didn't the Cuda work with Canada on the pipeline deal in Alaska? 

HMMMM

 

What experence did Rice have????????? 

HMMMM

rick007
Actually, Rice had quite a lot experience.

Diplomatic and academic not executive experience and she started in the Bush administration with the National Security portfolio. That does not involve the magnitude of management she has now as Secretary of State.

Certainly, she looks very good compared to Obama and does not have the draw back of failing on 90% of what she did in the past like Biden.

Republicans also have their failures. Jim Baker seems to cross all of the 't's and dot the 'i's but have most of what he does come back to bite the United States.

McCain should keep Rice as Secretary of Sate.

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

The day Senator McCain wins the election,

If not before, he will begin assembling his cabinet and his advisors. As vice President, Governor Palin will have the benefit of their advice from day one, as well as the state department and the various intelligence agencies. This is the same method every president or vice president uses. Beyond that, it takes wisdom, common sense, and the ability to communicate and the governor has shown that she has those skills in abundance. International relations is not rocket science nor gender specific. This was either just another cheap shot from CNN or a dumb question from an even dumber reporter.

Now they grow nostalgic for

Now they grow nostalgic for Dick Cheney, even before he leaves office? Uh-uh. They pull this stuff all the time. This is what is called "Plan B" - when attacks on Gov. Palin's family and her parenting abilities didn't work (and backfired on them) the MSM switches to attacks on her experience and capabilities. If that doesn't work, they will switch over to "Plan C" and attack her positions on issues... "Plan Z" will be to desperately re-throw all the failed attacks at her...

McNotObama '08

Chris

One of the new female liberal trollsters here called Sarah Palin "Dick Cheney in a beehive".....which I thought was a very pretty compliment, indeed.  No wonder she gives the liberals such heartburn!  :) 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

B:IIRC, that would be

B:

IIRC, that would be "docb".

In that same post she knocked Palin for alledgedly leaving her children to follow "blind ambition".  Then docb spins how she was an executive herself, had her own business, yet made "most" decisions in her single parent household with her child in mind. 

Docb never explained how she was able to fullfill all her duties to business and child while simultaneously charging that another woman could not.

What hubris.

I'm still waiting for a Lib to tell me how Jackie Kennedy homeschooled, cooked, cleaned and ran errands for the family while in the White House.  Ditto for Hillary Clinton.

Hubris

You are correct sir...that is exactly who posted the phrase (which I plan on using...I think it's great, and I believe Sarah Palin would find it to be a compliment as well).

Hubris.  What a great word! And it fits docb as well as the media talking heads who have their panties in a twist over the conservative version of Wonder Woman.

BTW....Jackie did it all because she was a Princess.  Hillary had her broomstick to ride, and to beat people with, a double duty broomstick, if you will. 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

I remember that well.

I started to respond to her, but then my head exploded.

 

MB: I'll wager your

MB:

I'll wager your neighborhood hardware store has learned to keep well stocked with duct tape this ugly election cycle.

I've bought shares of 3M and thank you and the others for my recent dividend check!

;-)

This is so much claptrap!!!!

The real question should be, how will President McCain involve Sarah Palin in his administration?  If he's smart (and at this point I think he's smart as a fox), he'll involve here generally, and task her with some very specific areas and agendas.

From everything I've heard about the Governor, she asks questions and gathers information until she adequately understands an issue.  Then makes decisions.

So, for the liberal media twits...Vice President Palin will have access to the very best intellegence, and analysts, and experts that this nation has to offer regarding any issue which may pique her curiosity.  I'd estimate it would take her less than a week to become a policy wonk on any issue she'd choose.  If John McCain includes her as a true executive officer, his number two in command...she'll be more experienced in three months than B. Hussein would be in three years.

Next stupid question, stupid media talking heads!

 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

Right Blonde. Where is it

Right Blonde. Where is it written that the Vice President must be sent to solve foreign crises anyway? This was Dick Cheney's area of strength, so they sent him. If Palin or McCain aren't comfortable with her being sent into, say, Georgia, to defuse another potential crisis, then I'm sure there are any number of other people to send who are at the president's disposal - like the Secretary of State.

McNotObama '08

Of course, right off the

Of course, right off the bat, because she has not spent years in Washington, they assume she's incompetent.

They might as well admit it: the reason they hate her so much is not that she is "inexperienced" or even that she's a woman.  It's that she's not "our kind," (as she said herself in her speech, not one of the elite) as in being from "the wrong side of the tracks." A VP bringing 3 young kids with her, and a husband who's part Eskimo and a snowmobile racer to boot!

They probably feel like the Beverly Hillbillies are coming!

 

mb, Apparently, the Media is

mb,

Apparently, the Media is in their Wile E. Coyote mode, sending away to Acme for their non-workable Sarah Palin traps that keep blowing up in their collective face. I see Matthews and Olbermann are in mid-plunge down the cliff.... :)

McNotObama '08

Executive experience

Well, half of the job of being an executive is not to master the policy, but to master the people.

Anyone who has held an executive job knows that it's not your role to do everything, and then hand off some stuff to inferiors only when you need a break. You have to hire intelligent people to perform their specialties, and trust them to do their job. Your role is not to be the master of every job. A college president, for example, doesn't have to be a genius at human resources; that's why he hires experts. A captain of an aircraft carrier doesn't need to personally know how to program the computers of the F14s. That's what he hires other people to do. The conductor doesn't need to know how to play the xylophone. He only needs to know how to get the xylophonist to play in tune and on time.

What matters, as an executive, is how well he (or she) masters the people. Get the right people in the right position, give them clear objectives, and hold them accountable.

  • The hard part is holding them accountable, because by definition, they're supposed to know more about their field than you do. So, as an executive, you only need to know enough about their field to know when they're really BS-ing you.
  • Your job as an executive is coordination and accountability. You don't need to know the detail of each job, but you do need to know how all of the jobs fit together.
  • If Obama had to pick the team, I'd be very worried. Obama hasn't been around long enough to know who belongs where. Neither does Palin, but it's different with Palin, because she's not picking the team - McCain, the thirty-year Washington veteran, is picking the team. Palin's back is covered.

Remember, she's the vice president. She has the time.

KC...precisely

She'll get the lay of the land down pretty quickly.  But, I'd like to see her start with her speciality, oil and energy policy.  She should be able to stuff the opposition immediately and thoroughly.

Then move on, branching out to other areas, perhaps getting rid of some of the government's sacred cows.  PBS would be a lovely place to start.

Not to change the subject, but your "back is covered" comment kind of made my mind wander.  I think McCain's new campaign strategist is a protege of Karl Rove's....what do you think of him?  He's played his hand beautifully so far, and I'd imagine McCain is as stubborn as they come. 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

Steve Schmidt? That his name?

Well, obviously, I'm an ex-Jesuit computer programmer with four kids. Anything I'd say is pure guess, so take my opinion for what it's worth ... absolutely nothing. It's a lot of fun to speculate, though, so why not?

  • You wonder sometimes about the role of the consultant. They always write books after the election, and since they take on new clients, they can't afford to admit to reality. For professional reasons, they always put themselves in the best light. (Nothing wrong with that, by the way.) But you never know what they had to deal with. Does he have to drag McCain along or does he have to restrain him? Is Cindy McCain a help or a pain? Does McCain have a crazy nephew? Who knows what kind of crap they have to juggle.
  • I mean, the obvious answer is that he's only good as often as he wins. I was never convinced that Obama was as good as the media presented him, because sooner or later, you have to deliver the goods, and he kept avoiding the delivery. I always thought that McCain was better over the long haul, because he could give answers when asked. I may not have always liked his answers, like on immigration, but McCain had his answers ready to go. That impressed me. So I always thought the gap would narrow sooner or later.
  • I'm still convinced, though, that the parties are very, very close. Everything will be decided by people who are waiting until the last possible moment to make that decision, and they can be swayed by anything. The debates, for me, are going to be absolutely crucial. In fact, I'm convinced it's a Luke Skywalker, Death Star moment. McCain's only going to get one clear shot at Obama, and he's got to make the most of it. Obama's going to pour money into a last minute media surge, and the networks are going to help as much as they can.

Schmidt and McCain have done a great job so far, but it's a long way to go.

"VERJEE: But, a lot of

"VERJEE: But, a lot of Republicans are also saying that she just lacks the experience"

This is obviously a variation of the "some say" question.

My question to Verjee: "A lot of your peers say you are dumber than a stick. How do you respond to that?"

The major media report only half the news. Why are they surprised they have only half the potential audience?

Her response. "I don't

Her response.

"I don't want to go out on a limb but I think you are barking up the wrong tree.  Next time I'll see him I'll ask the ACORN guy after he comes out of his first committee (sub) hearing. " she pined.

 "Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"

Very good! You could be her

Very good! You could be her writer.

The major media report only half the news. Why are they surprised they have only half the potential audience?

Hopefully you meant Palin's

Hopefully you meant Palin's speechwriter otherwise I am sadly disappointed. But I don't think she needs much help.  IMO, she made a good choice of salsa while in ABQ.

"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"

Old ploys never die they're just used by the MSM

Again the MSM uses the same old ploy to get a point across by using phrases like ‘it is said’ or ‘they say’ or ‘an unnamed source tells me’, etc.

When asked who ‘they’ are, they immediately fall back on the equally old  ‘the persons right to privacy’ line.

It is nothing more than a CYA tactic which, more than anything else, reveals how ill informed the interviewer is.

Beltway Gerbils

I think that we are going to see ever-increasing incidents of ankle biting by Beltway Gerbils like Zain VerJee. They are members of the civil service who have successfully suppressed critical review of the performance their departments for a long time. No President since Reagan has been willing to go to war with these civil servants.

The State Departments permanent staff has performed so poorly for the last twenty years they are completely right to fear Palin. While Sarah Palin's areas of expertise are those of immediate, interest to Alaska, Canada, Japan, far eastern Russia, and the Star-Wars installation that the Alaskan National Guard operates. She certainly has personal knowledge and concern about the various nations that fish off Alaska, the various nations with oil companies doing business in Alaskan oil, and the various international airlines that make connections through Alaska. The thing the Gerbils most fear about the Hockey Mom is she has the United States' leading reputation for breaking up feather bedding cabals.

Great idea!

First task for Vice President Palin:

Clean out that mouldy nest of socialists over at Foggy Bottom!  You know, like the ones who protested over being posted in the middle east a few years ago. 

Mark 'em down & move 'em out.

I like it. 

David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive

 

Excellent

Excellent idea!

Unbelievable some would refuse to do their jobs AND be able to keep their jobs!

Yes... clean Wussy Bottom of goldbricks, Lib operatives and backstabbing rats.

The contractors would be

The contractors would be easy, weeding out civil servants is a whole 'nother can of worms...

Well, now I know who wrote

Well, now I know who wrote the following comment on one of those upstanding lefty blogs...

"Obama!!! We HAVE TO UNITE AND SUPPORT HIM, HE’S A GOD!!!!! He, and we are the one’s we have been waiting for, we WILL SAVE THE WORLD!!!”
— Posted by J.T. aka Zain Verjee 

Increasing Hate For Palin

 

 

 

Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/  

Ct, that seems to me what the guy on your blog post would say.

LOL-Was he captured in a raid on a camp of Satan-worshippers or something?

-Dave.

Pop goes the weasel.

To be honest, I think

To be honest, I think Palin does not have the best experience.  But she certainly has more experience than Obama.  She has a 10 billion dollar budget to oversee in Alaska and 24,000 employees.  Obama has like a 2 million dollar budget as Senator and less than 100 employees.  Palin spent her time as governor governing.  Obama spent his time as Senator running for President.

This is where the liberal media double standard enters in.  Obama gets a complete pass on his lack of experience.  Palin is defined as "obviously" lacking experience.  I even heard someone in the media over the weekend trying to say Obama's campaign for President is what gives him experience!!!

ree-dic-ulous

1) Palin negotiated the pipeline with Canada. And like you stated in your first paragraph FAR more than Obama.

2) You are right about Obama getting a complete pass on the experience issue, and by criticizing the VP GOP pick, they make the Presidential pick for the Dems look EVEN WORSE. No one buys the "campaign = experience" tagline except the far lefties.

Obama is getting a pass on his experience but worse is the pass the media is giving him on his radical roots, with Saul Alinsky, J.W., and W. Ayers.

 

Palin has accomplished great things, while Obama has continued to make empty promises that the world owes you a living.

Governors generally don't

Governors generally don't have a lot of foreign policy experience.

G.W. Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, F.D.R, et al, all had no such experience.

However, for what it might be worth -- Alaska shares it's borders with Canada and Russia.  None of it touches the USA.  So perhaps she has more  foreign policy experience than she is givin credit for.

 

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Gov Bush & foreign policy experience

I'm no fan of the President, but to be fair, Governor Bush of border state Texas did deal with Mexican leaders regarding law enforcement, commerce, and immigration.

Verjee can't handle objectivity . . .

Beyond the naive correspondent's presumption that Palin "won't be able to handle it," she makes the mistake that her shallow-thinking peers make (or get from talking points): Should President McCain die in office, President Palin would have to make foreign policy in a vacuum.

1. President Palin would still have the National Security Advisor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Commerce, UN Ambassador, the Director of National Intelligence, et. al. to assist with foreign policy. Those are the government officers most often in contact with foreigners -- not the President or Vice President of the US.

2. Governor Palin has the experience of directing a cabinet. She knows how to ask questions, weigh responses, make decisions, and execute policy.

3. Who would the liberals rather see negotiating with a foreign leader: VP Cheney or VP Palin? Is she really scarier to them then Dick the Devil? I mean, c'mon.

4. And who would you rather send to oversee Federal response to a domestic natural disaster: Beltway-Imperium VP Cheney or former-Mayor-Governor VP Palin? Could be a new role for the VP, no?

And to those sexists who wonder if she can handle being VP and mother of five? SHE'S ALREADY A GOVERNOR, FOLKS! That certainly requires more time and focus than being a VP. If feminism is about "choice," stop making her choices for her!

can someone answer a question for me?

Why can't Condi get into politics as Secretary of State?  It sounds to me that she is a closeted Obama supporter.  Am I reading more into it than I should?

Lily... I didn't get that

Lily...

I didn't get that from anything she said...she may very well be, but I never got that impression from anything she said here.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

OK people the only duty of

OK people the only duty of the VP is to stand in if the President is incapacitated.  She has no other duties unless the President assigns them.  Now, in practical terms she will have duties other than what is specified in the Constitution.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Advocacy

This isn't journalism, it is advocacy. I don't care what the advocate's opinion is, I didn't ask.

Besides, the advocate is a liar. She doesn't have the names of "a lot of Republicans". She's making that up to provide justification for her own opinion. I have enough of this crap. I e-mailed CNN and call her a liar. Make these advocates name names.

Can you say John Bolton?

I don't recall a single democrat who is capable of doing ANY heavy lifting as it relates to foreign policy.

For starters: Clinton couldn't find a reason to arrest Bin Laden, Somalia, USS Cole, Albright Thought that the playing field would be level if we all had nukes, Barack thought we could chitchat our way to peace, Barack thought the surge would fail, the list goes back to Alger Hiss, and the list goes completely bonkers with LBJ.

Did you guys miss Chetry's performance?

In addition to the Rice/Verjee interview, did anyone happen to catch Kiran Chetry's rude interrogation of a guest from TownHall.com on American Morning today? The guests were from Huffington Post and TownHall.com. As was expected, the woman from HuffPo got friendly and tame questions, with no interruptions from Kiran, but when Kiran gave the last word to the gal from TownHall, she allowed her to get in the middle of her remarks, when all of a sudden Chetry interrupts and snobbily starts asking the woman if it is smart for Palin to claim she is a reformer when she accepted earmarks while governing in Alaska. Now, if Chetry has asked the guest about the earmarks and she had danced around the question, that would have been one thing. But, she gave the woman the last word, and instead of letting her give her remarks, she, in a very surly tone, jumps in without having asked her a previous question about earmarks in the first place. You know, I think that new executive producer for American Morning-the one with the Univ. of Cal, Berkeley degree, is really having a profound effect on Chetry. Of course, Chetry was already on that side of the fence anyway, but perhaps the new producer has given her a little extra schooling to combat those wacky pro-life conservatives that support Gov. Palin. Oh, these liberal ladies are so afraid of this Palin woman. Even  normally good natured gals like Kiran are starting to show how nervous they are.

Just Female MSM Projection?

This looks like a case of female projection to me!

This female MSM babe knows SHE couldn't handle it, so she figures Sarah Palin couldn't either!

These babes are just scared that Sarah may have raised the bar on them so their heady network reporter jobs don't seem so damn hot anymore!

Sarsh, you go Girl!

Audio

It wasn't really fair to put Rice on the spot like that. Anyway, audio from the exchange is up here.

Foreign Stupidity

"Well, one of the big questions about Sarah Palin is whether she has enough foreign policy experience to be vice president."

What does foreign policy have to do with the VICE President? The President make those policies, not the VP. The MOST any VP can do is support the policy decisions that the President makes, including foreign policies.

Obama: My job is above my pay grade