Palin on her "Mission from God" (with my apologies to the Blues Brothers)

OK, so maybe it was "task from God," but I couldn't resist the Belushi reference. 

In Sarah Palin's first interview with Charles Gibson from ABC News, Gibson attempted to get Palin to explain a comment she'd made to her old church congregation, Wasilla Assembly of God, that "our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God."

Watch the clip and let me know if you can make any sense of her "clarification" of that remark:

Gibson Interviews Palin

The transcript is below the fold....

So here's the transcript of that little excerpt, with my comments in red.  All emphasis is mine.  Sometimes I did it just to cut to the point.

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?

PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.

GIBSON: Exact words.

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words. But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side. That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie.

ME: Here's what Lincoln actually said - "My concern is not whether God is on our side, my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln’s words, but you went on and said, “There is a plan and it is God’s plan.”

ME: You take her point?  Charlie, I don't get it.  She didn't quote Lincoln in the speech to her congregation.  Lincoln was making the point that we should pray that we are doing the right thing, what God would want, rather than pray that God is on our side regardless of the intent of our actions.  I see no logical connection between that and what Palin said.

PALIN: I believe that there is a plan for this world and that plan for this world is for good. I believe that there is great hope and great potential for every country to be able to live and be protected with inalienable rights that I believe are God-given, Charlie, and I believe that those are the rights to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That, in my world view, is a grand — the grand plan.

ME: Love how she worked in the Declaration of Independence and responded as if she were referring to some grand universal scheme or idea.  The problem is, I watched the video of the speech to her former congregation. She does say something to the effect that we should pray that "there is a plan and it is God's plan" but she doesn't get into the bigger picture in her speech.  So here, she's stretching a bit.

GIBSON: But then are you sending your son on a task that is from God?

PALIN: I don’t know if the task is from God, Charlie. What I know is that my son has made a decision. I am so proud of his independent and strong decision he has made, what he decided to do and serving for the right reasons and serving something greater than himself and not choosing a real easy path where he could be more comfortable and certainly safer.

ME: So now she doesn't know if this is a task from God.  I have to agree that her son certainly hasn't chosen the easiest path.  Military service can never be called easy.  I just hope that those rumors about what led Track to the military don't turn out to have any substance or she'll be eating crow about that "independent and strong decision" he made.

Let's just say the rest of the interview is pretty interesting.  I'll leave it to someone else to write about how Palin didn't know what the Bush Doctrine is.  Personally, I think my VP should know more about national security and foreign policy than I do.  This is not a good sign, Sarah.

-- Lawyer Mama

Comments

[kirsty]

Scary that she could possibly hold the most powerful position in the free world in 50+ days.

[Stefania]

Kirsty, not if I can help it.

[Lacie]

Umm... Sarah, while you are expounding on God's plan for this world you may want to consider a few of Christ's words that pertain to your nasty speech at the convention, your camp's treatment of Barak Obama, and your party's economic policies. In Luke 6 Christ said,
"27 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Sarah, if you really are sincere about your Christian faith and not just a bag of hot wind seeking to manipulate the vote of the religious right then you will walk the walk even if it means losing the race.

[bbobbo]

sure, when you cut out that statement from the context of what she was saying, it sounds like she is saying that the war is a task from god. but if you read her entire statement, it is clear that she is saying that we should pray that what our leaders are doing is a task from god.

it's the same as if she had said, "let's pray that god thinks we're doing the right thing", and then the press quoted her as saying "god thinks we're doing the right thing". big difference.

here is the full quote:

"I have a new little one but my oldest, my son Track, he’s a soldier in the United States Army now. He’s an infantryman, and, um, so Track also sends his love to his former nanny Christy. And Track — pray for our military. He’s going to be deployed in September to Iraq. Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right also for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan."

link to a transcript of the whole speech:

http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2008/09/02/text-transcript-of-sarah-palins-speech-of-june-8-2008-at-masters-commission-of-wasilla-alaska/

(note: i added "them" in "are sending them out on a task" because the transcript left that out.)

[cynematic]

Hmmm. Palin: don't you think whoever we fight against is praying to their god on the other side too?

I'd rather that people with nuclear codes read--and understood--the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) for starters instead of a piece of religious writing.

[John]

If you've been reading the newswires over the past several hours, you'll recognize that Gibson completely misquoted her and then smuggly responded with "exact words" when Palin suggested those weren't her words. Expect some type of retraction or apology from ABC tomorrow, as there is quite an uproar brewing.

[cynematic]

John, it looks like you're the "uproar" here on MOMocrats, in triplicate. Nice try. Does the McCain campaign pay you by the comment?

(Wait--"John"...as in, "John McCain"? Is that really YOU? Nah, didn't think so.)

[Shakes The Clown]

Looks like Obama doesn't even have a clue about what the "Bush Doctrine" is either. Suck on this...

http://cesspoolofhumanity.blogspot.com/

[Kady]

@bbobbo - so let me get this straight. SP was actually saying that we need to pray that this is a task from God, because if it isn't, we have basically been sending our troops to die needlessly. Ok... and b/c I'm a little fuzzy on this whole religion thing, we're not sure that this is a task from God? So there is a chance that we're basically sending our troops to die... because of personal hubris?

Yeah, that's much better.

[Anne]

There is a snarky group on Facebook, "I have more Foreign Policy Experience Than Sarah Palin". Here is the link http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36436310820

[Gunfighter]

During the early crusades, Crusaders were given dispensations for what they were going to do in the Holy wars... they weren't blessed in their efforts, becuase who really thinks that God would bless slaughter?

[Lawyer Mama]

Actually, Obama got the Bush doctrine EXACTLY right according to the Bush administration's definition. They frequently cite making Libya comply with their list of conditions before speaking with them again as a victory of the "Bush doctrine." So, thanks, but that blogger needs to do a little more research! Obama got it exactly right.

As for the quote, did y'all read the paragraph above the one you've cut & pasted? She does say - with no additional explanation - that they're on a "task from God."

[Mom101]

The fact that there is any discussion about what she meant or defense of her in this case is ridiculous.

Palin said what she said, it was a holy war allusion, and any thinking person with a rudimentary understanding of English understands that.

That's it. End of story.

[Kmuzu]

I know this isn't anything deep - Palin's voice reminds me of the Church Lady on SNL. Whenever, I hear her - I think of Dana Carvey in a dress

[Terry Morris]

You take her point? Charlie, I don't get it.

I get it. If Charlie actually believed that Palin said what he said she said, then why would he just accept her answer and move on? A: Because Charlie knew the full context of her statements before he asked the question.

[SarahE]

I second Liz's point. Holy War reference? YES. And Kmuzu, I'm with you on the Church Lady.

[Lawyer Mama]

Let me assure everyone that I watched the video about 15 times. Yes, she made some comments that maybe possibly could be related to what she said about Lincoln, but it's a stretch. Seems more like they were scouring the internet for anything that might fit her quote.

And I'm with Liz. What she "meant" is really irrelevant.

[DrClown]

1. Evangelicals are always talking about seeking God's will.

2. She wasn't reading a speech, she was rambling.

3. This is quote mining.

[Daisy]

So...in conclusion, rambling is okay, mining her answers for quotes isn't? She's in a campaign for president: she's the lipstick on the McCain pig.
Oops, that wasn't politically correct. I must have been mining the wrong rambles.

[Kirsten]

Saw this on another site and thought it was well written, wish I could take credit for writing it...

"And the Republicans pander to and sign up the religious right and preach politics as some holy crusade against the rest of America, the part that does not share their radical religious views, namely, most of the rest of the country. And their intent is to disenfranchise the majority of the population in favor of their religious beliefs and the financial fat cats who thrive off the working class, the poor. The fat cats the Republicans always give free reign, as in the Savings and Loan deregulation fiasco, the deregulation of mortgage industry, the disregard for envrionmental issues, and so much more that it would fill a library.
It took Democrats to get Civil Rights moving, Democrats to push for National Health care, Democrats to fight for minimum wage increases, Democrats to establish Social Security etc.
The rural working class that you describe as disenfranchised by Democrats has not been well served by the Republicans, but they are blind to it. They are courted because they are bible toting, gun toting, ultra conservatives who quite frankly have no clue about real issues because they are too wrapped up in the flag, the bible and pro life. Hit them with those three items and you likely get their vote. They want Supreme Court Justices that will negate the rights of more than 60% of the nations population. They want everyone to toe the line of their moral and religious values. They want a theocracy. Doesn't work for me.

The Democrats don't want to take away their bibles, their beliefs. They just don't want them foisted on the rest of us.

Now, not all people in those areas fall into that category. But the loudest ones tend to. I'll take the Democrats until something better comes along."

Kirst

[Trudy]

Christians do not ever claim to know the will of God. We can only pray that we are following His will, and that is what Sarah Palin was doing - praying that our leaders were following the will of God. In answer to one comment above, yes, it is possible that we went to war in an act of hubris, in defiance of God's will. That is why wise Christian's pray that we are doing what we are supposed to do. And yes, God's will can include going to war. Christians do not care what the other side's "god" wants or thinks, because there is only one True God, and theirs ain't it.