Governor Sarah Palin • State of the Union
Posted on September 06 2015 - 10:08 AM - Posted by: iizthatiiz | Follow iizthatiiz on Twitter!
September 6th, 2015 • iizthatiiz
Governor Sarah Palin joined Jake Tapper on CNN’s ‘State Of The Union" to discuss a wide range of issues.
Palin was asked about President Obama’s recent visit to Alaska and his controversial decision to rename Mount McKinley to Denali. She took the position that the name change was unnecessary, as the peak was already within the bounds of Denali National Park. Palin noted that within her own family she has two nieces, one named McKinley and the other named Denali, that represented the split in opinion among Alaskans on the proper name for America’s tallest mountain. She was critical of Obama wasting his efforts on a name change, while "our economy still sucks", suggesting the president should be focused on more pressing issues.
On the question of climate change, Palin said "I’m not going to blame changes in the weather on man’s footprint." She noted that while Obama focused solely on those Alaskan glaciers that are receding, that there are number of glaciers that are increasing in size. She also pointed out that the receding glacier that Obama held out as proof of man’s influence has actually been decreasing in size since the early 1800’s, well before the industrial revolution began.
Palin took exception with President Obama ignoring recent encroachments by Russian bombers and Chinese warships off the coast of Alaska. Russia is also laying claim to undersea resources adjacent to Alaska which the Obama administration is not disputing. On foreign policy, Palin suggested that Obama should have "carried a big stick, instead of a selfie stick" during his recent visit.
Asked about journalists inclination to hit candidates with ‘gotcha questions, as happened in a recent interview with Donald Trump where he juxtaposed the leader of the Iranian Quds force with the leader of the Kurdish resistance. "I’d rather have a president who is tough and puts America first, than to win a game of Trivial Pursuit", said Palin. "I don’t think the public gives a flying flip if somebody knows who is the specific leader leader of a specific region", especially in lieu of the "volatility of politics in these other areas."
On the recent dust-up between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump over the appropriateness of candidates speaking in Spanish while campaigning, Palin said while "it’s a benefit" for Jeb to be fluent in Spanish, we should also be sending a message to immigrants who come to this country that "you better be here legally or you’re out of here" and that learning to speak English is the "unifying aspect of the nation."
Tapper asked Governor Palin about pending legislation in Ohio that would ban abortions based upon a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. Palin would like to see Ohio Governor (and presidential candidate) John Kasich come out publicly in favor of the bill. "They’re amazing wonderful kids. They teach us more than we’re ever going to able to teach them", Palin said. "I don’t think that because the child has one extra chromosome, they should be able to snuff that life out."
Palin spoke of her own personal experience upon finding out early in her pregnancy with Trig that he would be born with Down Syndrome. "I know what moms go through when they’re given that .. to be honest with you, kind of devastating news. .. It makes your world stop spinning for a bit", "There is some fear there of the unknown, certainly there was fear in my heart." Lamenting the extraordinary high rate of abortions of Down babies, Palin talked about how culture has taught women that "you’re not capable of being able to handle and nurture and love and raise a child with special needs." That it is "just so much easier and convenient for you to just end it. Pretend like it never happened. Get rid of the child. Get rid of the baby and get on with the convenient life of your own." Palin added that she wouldn’t change anything about her son Trig, saying that he has "solidified our families support for the sanctity of life, and for tolerance. For accepting people who are a little bit different."
Finally, Governor Palin addressed Donald Trump’s recent statement that he would like to have Palin as a part of his administration. Tapper asked what position she would choose for herself given the opportunity. "I think a lot about the Department of Energy, cause energy is my baby." Prior to being elected governor, Palin served as the Chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. She said that her goal as Energy Secretary would be to eliminate the department, and return control of those resources to the individual states. "It would be really great to have someone who knows energy and is pro responsible development to be in charge."