Monday, September 22, 2008

Palin to attend UN General Assembly opening

To address criticism about his lack of foreign policy experience, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama went on a tour of Europe.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has received similar criticism and is now doing what she can to improve her image on foreign policy. She is scheduled to meet with international leaders at the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York. The story, from Telegraph.co.uk, shows that the rest of the world is also closely following the U.S. elections.

According to the story, Palin's only other trip abroad was to visit Alaska National Guard troops in Kuwait and the border of Iraq, and to see wounded soldiers in Germany. Democrats have mocked Palin about her need for a passport, or lack of need, with her limited traveling experience.

Though she won't be leaving the country, Palin is scheduled to meet Henry Kissinger, possibly the new Pakistani president, the president of Afghanistan, and the president of Georgia, among others at the UN opening.

This may be a step in the right direction for Palin to show she is trying to become more informed about U.S. foreign policy, but as the article points out, she still remains extremely vulnerable to criticism about her limited experience.