In Sarah Palin’s speech at a conference of investors in Hong Kong, she made a number of unorthodox moves. One was to deliver sweeping criticism of President Obama in a country with which the US has a rather sensitive relationship. Another was to attack a policy embraced by her running mate in last year’s election, John McCain. In the speech, Palin lambasted the Obama administration’s decision to end production of the F-22 fighter jet. McCain (along with Carl Levin) championed this decision in the Senate, playing a leading role in bringing down the plane. But still that wasn’t the only graceless note Palin struck. At a speech in Hong Kong, Palin says she opposed ending the F-22 program…because of the military threat posed by China:
Despite the need to move men and material by air into theaters like Afghanistan, the Obama Administration sought to end production of our C-17s, the work horse of our ability to project long range power. Despite the Air Force saying it would increase future risk, the Obama Administration successfully sought to end F-22 production—at a time when both Russia and China are acquiring large numbers of next generation fighter aircraft. [emphasis mine.]
