I have more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin.

I just finished reading the transcript of President Obama's interview with George Stephanopoulous.  Worth taking a look.  And while his insights on Russia, China and Iran were very interesting (and, I think, spot-on), I can't help but take enormous pleasure in his pitch-perfect response to criticism from Sarah Palin.  You remember that "fiscally conservative" champion of the "Real America" who quit her office and left Alaska with the biggest debt-to-state-GDP ratio in the country, right?

STEPHANOPOULOS: I want to get to some of those broader issues [of nuclear proliferation]. Because you're also facing criticism on that. Sarah Palin, taking aim at your decision to restrict the use of nuclear weapons. Your pledge not to strike nations, non-nuclear nations, who abide by the nonproliferation treaty. Here's what she said. She said, "It's unbelievable, no other administration would do it." And then she likened it to kids on the playground. She said you're like a kid who says, "Punch me in the face, and I'm not going to retaliate." Your response?

OBAMA: I really have no response. Because last I checked, Sarah Palin's not much of an expert on nuclear issues.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But the string of criticism has been out there among other Republicans as well. They think you're restricting use of nuclear weapons too much.

OBAMA: And what I would say to them is that if the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff are comfortable with it, I'm probably going to take my advice from them and not from Sarah Palin.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But not concerned about her criticisms?

OBAMA: No.

Although I'm sure Sarah spent many a morning mulling over highly nuanced nuclear nonproliferation policies whilst eyeing Russia from her front porch, bottom line, whatever shockingly vapid thoughts she has careening fecklessly around in her mind -- on subjects about which she clearly knows nothing (i.e., everything) (excepting, of course, maverickyness) -- are absolutely and utterly irrelevant.

Perhaps Ms. Palin has forgotten (or, more likely, was never given the CliffsNotes about) the words of her party's oft-quoted but ill-used guiding star:

"A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. And no matter how great the obstacles may seem, we must never stop our efforts to reduce the weapons of war. We must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of this Earth."

That's Ronald Reagan in 1984, speaking at the University of Shanghai, China.

As Steve Benen so aptly put it, "When dealing with issues of counter-proliferation and the nuclear threats of the 21st century, [President Obama] can listen to credible and knowledgeable experts, including his secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, or he can listen to the bizarre rhetoric of a dimwitted former half-term governor of a small state, who appears to have no working knowledge of this or any other subject."

Comments

[vonnie bates]

I can't imagine why everyone is so concerned with Sarah Palin. How could a stupid woman like that be a threat to anyone? Folks should leave her alone to enjoy that view from her front porch.

[erika]

I wonder what he REALLY wanted to say....

I do think his response was perfect, though. I agree with Vonnie. Why can't we just leave her on her porch?