Serial Liar Sarah Palin’s Traveling Lies

After Sarah Palin became the Republican vice presidential nominee, she tried mightily to burnish her non-existent foreign policy credentials. To demonstrate her worldly ways, she announced that she lives in a state that is close to Russia – at least the frozen uninhabited part of Russia. Her campaign also declared that she had traveled to Iraq, Kuwait, Germany and Ireland. Last night, in her interview with Charlie Gibson, she added that she had also been to Mexico and Canada.

Given her history of lying, it is hard to believe her even on the trivial issue of how many countries she has visited.

It of course turns out that she was not being truthful. Her "trip" to Ireland turns out to be a refueling stop. Her plane stopped at an airport while en route to Germany. I am pretty sure transiting at an airport does not count as a visit to that country.

Today the Boston Globe reports that her "trip" to Iraq was a fib too:

Sarah Palin’s visit to Iraq in 2007 consisted of a brief stop at a border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait, the vice presidential candidate’s campaign said yesterday, in the second official revision of her only trip outside North America.

Following her selection last month as John McCain’s running mate, aides said Palin had traveled to Ireland, Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq to meet with members of the Alaska National Guard. During that trip she was said to have visited a "military outpost" inside Iraq. The campaign has since repeated that Palin’s foreign travel included an excursion into the Iraq battle zone.

But in response to queries about the details of her trip, campaign aides and National Guard officials in Alaska said by telephone yesterday that she did not venture beyond the Kuwait-Iraq border when she visited Khabari Alawazem Crossing, also known as "K-Crossing," on July 25, 2007.

Asked to clarify where she traveled in Iraq, Palin’s spokeswoman, Maria Comella, confirmed that "She visited a military outpost on the other side of the Kuwait-Iraq border."

It was the second such clarification in as many weeks of the itinerary of what Palin has called "the trip of a lifetime." Earlier, the campaign acknowledged that Palin made only a refueling stop in Ireland.

Her "trips" to Canada and Mexico also bear watching:

Palin also told ABC that she had traveled to Mexico and Canada. Her campaign had previously mentioned a Canada visit, but not a trip to Mexico. Comella said yesterday that Palin had visited Mexico on vacation, and Canada once last year.

"We did not have 100 percent confirmation about the Mexico trip in the initial days we were being asked. It was a personal trip," Comella said.

Palin’s campaign did not respond to requests for details about when she traveled to Mexico and where she went, nor did it provide details of her 2007 Canada trip or indicate whether it was for business or pleasure.

I am very impressed by her gusto for misleading and lying. Sarah Palin will definitely be ready on day one to continue the legacy of lies that is the Bush/Cheney administration.

Drill, baby, drill. Lie, baby, lie.