Former Secretary Lawrence Eagleburger Spreads the Butter and Cinammon on the Very Crunchy Toast That Is Sarah Palin (Now With New Craven Apology Update!)
Lawrence Eagleburger, former Secretary of State under George Bush the First, Foreign Policy guru and one of McCain’s most highly touted backers, speaks to the qualifications of one Sarah Palin to sit in the Oval office:
“Look, of course not. I don’t think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reins of the presidency. I can name for you any number of other vice presidents who were not particularly up to it either. So the question, I think, is can she learn and would she be tough enough under the circumstances if she were asked to become president, heaven forbid that that ever takes place?
“Give her some time in the office and I think the answer would be, she will be [pause] adequate. I can’t say that she would be a genius in the job. But I think she would be enough to get us through a four year . . . well I hope not . . . get us through whatever period of time was necessary. And I devoutly hope that it would never be tested.”
Audio here, for those who like their Palin medium well. For those who prefer well-done Alaska Governor, fresh poll results here from the good folks at the Times, showing that just shy of 60% of the country finds Palin unqualified.
That’s the thing about VDB: we cook it your way.
Late Update, Saturday 11:06 am:
You knew it would only be a matter of hours before the McCain folk had put the screws to Eagleburger, and forced him to recant. And sure enough, the former Secretary of State went on Fox to say his sorries for having told America, in no uncertain terms, that Sarah Palin was a few nuggets shy of a Happy Meal.
But give Eagleburger his due: he didn’t just issue any craven apology for speaking truth. No, he went so far as to call himself a fool, and Barack Obama a “flim-flam” man. All of this delivered with a straight face, while wearing what looks more or less like a vintage Black Panther glove, circa the 1968 Summer Olympics.
That’s what VDB calls taking one for the team.