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Sarah Palin possesses an uncanny ability to make even a somewhat reasonable position on any given issue sound extremist, offensive, condescending, and ignorant at the same time. And as the star's shine fades fast, her statements - if 140 characters can be called that - become more desperate.

Consider the debate around whether or not President Obama should release photographs showing the gunshot wounds to the head that ultimately killed Osama bin Laden. Only the fringes are questioning whether it was actually bin Laden  who was killed, but the White House still debated if photos should be made public. Even in the president's inner circle, there was not unanimity. Leon Panetta, director of the CIA who managed the capture and killing, suggested that releasing the photos might be useful. But the president ultimately decided against it, explaining to 60 Minutes tonight that he didn't think the photos would serve US interests and could even put soldiers in jeopardy.

Over at @SarahPalinUSA, the soon-to-be former darling of the GOP tweeted:

Show photo as warning to others seeking America's destruction. No pussy-footing around, no politicking, no drama; it's part of the mission

How is one supposed to read this tweet? Is the failed vice presidential candidate employing language designed to emasculate and mock the president? Is the reality star accusing the president of creating drama? Is the half-term governor lecturing the commander in chief about how to conduct a mission, a wildly dangerous but successful and vital operation?

Disagreeing with the president about his decision not to release the photo is understandable. Like Panetta, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina supported its release, saying "The whole purpose of sending our soldiers into the compound, rather than an aerial bombardment, was to obtain indisputable proof of Bin Laden’s death. I know Bin Laden is dead. But the best way to protect and defend our interests overseas is to prove that fact to the rest of the world. I’m afraid the decision made today by President Obama will unnecessarily prolong this debate."

Maine's Republican Sen. Susan Collins said, "But what I'm worried about is there will be this mythology that will arise that somehow Osama bin Laden escaped, or isn't really dead or someone else was killed, despite the fact that it clearly was Osama who was caught and killed in this raid. So I think if there's a way to release a couple of the pictures, hopefully ones that aren't as gruesome -- they are going to be inherently gruesome because there were shots to his head -- that it would help prevent that mythology from arising."

Many lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle, agree that releasing images that purportedly show bullet holes, brain matter, and embodied death and violence would not advance interests abroad. Sens. Graham and Collins disagree, and there points seem reasonable and balanced. But when I read Palin's tweet, I wonder, what does this woman want? Should the military have ditched the Islamic burial at sea, brought bin Laden's lifeless body back to the US, and allowed mobs to have at it? Perhaps they could set it afire, drag it through the streets of New York and Washington, and allow the nation's collective vengeance and anger to have its day. Nothing pussy-footing about that plan! Just part of the mission?

Thankfully polls suggests that Palin's heyday is behind us (though one clown is replaced with another in The Donald). But the true antidote to all this foolishness comes most powerfully not in words, but in a single photograph, flickr's most viewed ever:

The Situation Room


Around that table are sober adults, overseeing a true life-and-death operation, who understand that the world is a serious and sometimes dangerous place. While Palin's sideshow may have been entertaining, the American people are reminded at times such as now that thoughtful leadership is more important than cheap politics.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
13 years 6 months ago
Sarah Palin made a speech on Monday which she discussed at length her views on foreign policy and the death of Osama Bin Laden.  It is rich in points of view and could be called the Palin Doctrine if one wants to use such terms.  Whether you agree with what she says, she is out there with a point of view that can be debated.  Here is a link to her speech.  Maybe we could have an intelligent discussion of it instead of the ''toddler'' rant of Mr. O'Loughlin that should not be part of America.



http://www.sarahpac.com/posts/tribute-to-the-troops-with-governor-palin 


Can anyone on America Magazine staff point to or elucidate an Obama Doctrine on anything let alone foreign policy. Maybe we could discuss that too while we are looking at what Ms. Palin is saying.
david power
13 years 6 months ago
 Michael,

C'mon admit it  you would like to see the photos. If they had the whole thing on a youtube video with a preceeding ad for McDonalds of one hour they could probably wipe the entire US debt away. 
Sarah is a prophetic voice , USA USA USA .
I am tempted to also pull you up for the ad hominem attack on the Donald (Against America's rules) but I agree with the words you wrote and disagree with the rule. 
Looking at the Photo I imagined a superman 2 scene where Zod would enter the room and suss out who was the President.
Obama would feign it and Zod would then get suspect and  move towards Robert Gates.  

On a more trivial note,you guys have to take a pop at a democrat once in a while or else people will just write you off as democrat hacks .  
13 years 6 months ago
The desperate person here is Mr. O'Laugllin.  You can disagree with Ms. Palin's point of view but in no shape or form is it desperate.  Mr. O'Lauglin lets go with one ad hominem after the other. ''desperation, extremist, offensive, condescending, and ignorant at the same time, star's shine fades fast, Only the fringes are questioning whether it was actually bin Laden  who was killed (she didn't question this in her tweet), failed vice presidential candidate, reality star, half-term governor etc. ''


Why is such a inane diatribe allowed on this site?
John Barbieri
13 years 6 months ago
What a foolish article!
This is "Monday morning quarter-backing" at it's worst!
Credit for this! Does anyone really want credit for this?
A mass murderer has met his end!
The world is better off without him!
And yet, a hard truth is that he was every bit as human as Mother Theresa. 
His evil life ought to be a powerful warning to us about the depths that all of us can sink to. Publishing gruesome photographs of his remains does nothing other than to pander to morbid curiosity.
He is gone.
There is no glory in his passing.
Let his evil go with him.
Do not allow his terrible end to inspire more death and destruction.
Matthew Pettigrew
13 years 6 months ago
Congratulations to the United States military and intelligence communities, to President Obama, and to his administration. Smart, capable, thoughtful people accomplished something that had to be accomplished, and now it's time to move on. The release of photographs would serve no legitimate purpose. Doubters, haters, and conspriracy-theorists will be satisfied with nothing that this president does, and the decision to not placate Sarah Palin and others like her is the right one.
13 years 6 months ago
I came across this a few minutes ago.  Apparently there was no fire fight and only one person had a gun and was killed almost immediately.  Here is an AP report.  The story might change even more as we learn just what happened. There are some gruesome photos of the people killed on  the internet apparently assassinated as part of the operation.  I am surprised they were not taken prisoner and sent to Guantanamo Bay as part of the Obama policy of dealing with terrorists where we could get intel out of them.  So what were all those adults above watching or listening to.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BIN_LADEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-05-05-09-23-57  
Jim McCrea
13 years 6 months ago
I personally think that when the dust settles it will be discovered that this is all part of a commie conspiracy headed by our Kenyan Muslim pretend President
 
Once this guy gets his hands on the REAL TRUTH (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/politics/05barton.html?src=me&ref=general) there will be grounds for impeachment of President Usama bin Hussein and it will be safe for everyone to pack a gun in the open for the ongoing defense of Truth, Freedom and the American Way of Life.
 
That’s what I think!
david power
13 years 6 months ago
Jim,

I knew if you kept on reading my comments some sense would eventually enter your head.Welcome aboard!!!!
david power
13 years 6 months ago
@David Smith,

To complete your education you should watch the movie.
It is really good.

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