Palin planning a foreign trip sometime next year

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is planning a foreign trip sometime next year, providing an opportunity to boost her presidential prospects, POLITICO has confirmed.

Details of the trip, including the timing, have not yet been worked out. But Palin sources confirm that plans are being considered for foreign travel in the new year, with Israel and Britain at the top of the list.

he likelihood of such a trip was first reported by the Daily Beast.

Potential presidential contenders frequently plan highly publicized foreign trips ahead of announcing runs as a forum to boost their foreign policy credentials.

The move could be an opportunity for the Republican former vice presidential nominee to bolster any perceived weaknesses as a candidate. She has little travel experience on her resume, and GOP insiders worry that she’s weak on issues outside of her comfort zone.

Palin's 2009 trip to Hong Kong to speak at an economic conference received widespread coverage for her criticism that the Obama administration had weakened America's standing in Asia.

Her paid speech to an investment firm audience was closed to the press, but The Wall Street Journal, after reviewing a recording of it, reported that the former governor criticized the administration for curtailing defense spending, which she suggested worried U.S. allies concerned with China’s growing reach in the region.

"Our strong defense posture in Asia has helped keep the region safe and allowed ... this area to prosper," Ms. Palin said, according to The Journal. "Our Asian allies get nervous if they think we're weakening with security commitments."

On Thursday, Palin adviser Randy Scheunemann, who counseled her on speech, said he was present when she delivered it and “saw firsthand that Governor Palin was very careful not to criticize President Obama in her remarks – a fact noted by virtually all media accounts at the time.” (Continues at POLITICO)