Gingrich: Palin Bush Doctrine Answer Reflects Lessons Learned - depends on definition of "imminent"

[jefferson_dem]

:spray:

Gingrich: Palin Bush Doctrine Answer Reflects Lessons Learned
September 12, 2008 8:35 AM

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Hope Ditto Report: Appearing Friday on NBC's "Today," Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich described Sarah Palin's lack of clarity on whether she subscribes to the Bush Doctrine as reflecting lessons learned in the last seven years, adding that President Bush would have had a "much harder case to make" in the run up to the Iraq war if he were trying to meet the imminent threat standard articulated by Palin during her Thursday interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.

"I think it depends on what you mean by the word 'imminent,'" said Gingrich. "I suspect that if you went back and said to her, 'All right, if we find somebody is preparing a biological or nuclear weapon to use against us, would you wait until the last second?' 'Would you move as early as you were sure they were against you?' I think you get into sort of judgment calls there. But I also think she reflects lessons we've learned in the last seven years and you've got to be cautious and you've got to make sure that you have a case beyond reasonable doubt and that you're not just acting at sort of first...notice."

Asked by NBC's Matt Lauer if President Bush would have had a "very difficult case" to make before the American people if he were trying to meet Palin's "imminent threat" standard, Gingrich said, "I think he would have had a much harder case to make."

Gingrich then quickly added that "although at the time, we tend to forget this looking backwards, at the time people thought the Iraqis were explicitly, and that Saddam Hussein was explicitly, trying to get weapons of mass destruction and weapons of mass murder, and I think if you think that someone is actively trying to get a nuclear or biological weapon you probably don't wait until they finish the weapon and are prepared to put it in a rocket."

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http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/gingrich-palin.html

[gypsylud]

1. Gingrich's choice of words is interesting

"trying to get weapons of mass destruction." If I remenmber correctly, the narrative at the time was that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, chemical, gas, etc; but were trying to build a nuclear bomb. I am beginning to notice how the subtly change the narrative over time.

[Windy]

2. Any leader who thinks that Palin is qualified to VP after that interview

needs to lose his/her position. They are putting the country in danger!