On first trip to India, Palin talks tough on issues

"Palin impressed her audience with strong views on energy security,
terrorism, free trade, bailouts and the India-U.S. partnership."
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Surprise! The Washington Post's report on Gov. Palin's India Today speech is unusually fair and balanced, at least when compared to WaPo's norm when reporting on conservatives in general and Sarah Palin in particular. How can that be? It's likely because it was written by Rama Lakshmi of the Post's India bureau, rather than by the newspaper's Beltway-based Democrat Party operatives who pretend to be journalists. Here are some excerpts:

New Delhi — On her first trip to India, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin said she is still thinking about running for president, voiced concerns about China’s military rise, criticized green investment and vowed to see the Taj Mahal during her next trip.

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“I personally have huge military concerns about what is going on in China,” she said. ”What’s with the buildup? You don’t see a tangible outside threat . . . to that country. Is that just for a defensive posture? How can that be? Stockpiling ballistic missiles, submarines, new-age ultramodern fighter aircrafts. It certainly means America needs to be vigilant looking at what China is doing.”

Palin, who flew to New Delhi from Taiwan, added that America’s economic reliance on China constituted “a dangerous place to be.”

[...]

“I am surprised at her openness when speaking about the Chinese threat, especially when she is on Indian soil,” said Kan­wal Sibal, a former diplomat and a foreign policy columnist. “China will not fail to notice this.”

Palin’s two-day trip to India came about five months after President Obama’s state visit. While Obama and his wife, Michelle, danced and charmed their way into Indian hearts, Palin impressed her audience with strong views on energy security, terrorism, free trade, bailouts and the India-U.S. partnership.

“Sarah Palin held her own very well,” said Sachin Pilot, India’s deputy minister for communications and information technology. “She came out as an independent thinker. She answered all complicated questions reasonably well,”“Anybody who is looking to perform a major role in American politics today does need to engage with India.”

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The Post's reporting is especially remarkable, considering that two major lamestream media outlets in the U.S. made a point of misquoting Gov. Palin's remarks.

- JP