Salon: WHAT trade missions with Russia??

[Coexist]

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/09/26/trade_missions/index.html

As you might notice, Palin only cites one discernible foreign interaction under her purview: Trade missions.

I spent some time on the Governor's Web site seeking more details about her trade negotiations with Russia. There's a press release about Gov. Palin's meeting with a trade mission from the Yukon, but nothing about Russia anywhere in the archives. Tony Knowles, a Democrat who was governor from 1994-2002, led a trade mission -- back in 1997, while Palin was running Wasilla -- to the remote island of Sakhalin, off the coast of Siberia. That seems to be about it for Russia-Alaska trade missions lately.

When asked for examples of trade missions with Russia that have taken place under Palin's watch, gubernatorial spokeswoman Kate Morgan refused to answer the question. Morgan said she could not legally discuss any trade missions with me because she's a state employee and I had first heard this claim through the Couric interview, which was part of Palin's campaign for the vice-presidency. When I pointed out that any trade missions that occurred would have been official state business, Morgan again noted that I had learned about them in the context of the campaign. "The law is very stringent," she said, and recommended that I contact the McCain-Palin campaign. Two spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.

An article published two weeks ago in the Seattle Times notes that a politician from Russia's Far East did in fact meet with Palin in Anchorage, and urged her to come to Russia. One of Palin's trade specialists is also quoted saying that no trade missions with Russia are currently on the agenda: "I am not aware of any plans but that doesn't mean she wouldn't ."

The article noted that Anchorage is host to an organization called the Northern Forum, a council of regional governments from all the northernmost countries of the world. But the Palin administration cut the Forum's budget from $75,000 to $15,000, and stopped the practice of sending representatives to its meetings.

Feel free to email this to Gwen Ifill; maybe she'll ask her about these Double Secret Trade Missions that gives Sarah Palin such solid foreign policy cred.

[Aviation Pro]

1. One more shitty lie....

...to add to the verbal diarrhea of Sarah Pornstar.

[tekisui]

2. I didn't know that states could trade directly with foreign countries.

What is the rule on that?

[Coexist]

3. I don't know - Florida has trade agreements with Mexico and Chile

and others, but I am not sure if they needed to be approved federally or not.

[tekisui]

5. Ah, ok.

[DangerousRhythm]

4. Excellent article. I emailed it to Gwen Ifill using the PBS template.

I hope it gets to her!

[Coexist]

6. thank you.

[DangerousRhythm]

7. Anytime! Anything we can nail that woman with.

I want to see her go down in flames during the debate. :rofl: