ELECTION 2008 Choice of Palin Lauded By State Republicans Doyle Dismisses McCain’s Move As a ‘Panic Pick’
By PATRICK MARLEY and BILL GLAUBER
Wisconsin Republicans said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was an ideal pick for vice president because she would strengthen the ticket’s independent streak and peel off supporters of Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But Wisconsin Democrats countered that Clinton supporters would be unlikely to back Palin, saying she represents eight more years of the policies of President Bush.
Republican state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he was pleased Sen. John McCain picked a young, family-oriented woman who is anti-abortion and supports gun rights. Her history of bucking her party matches McCain’s maverick reputation, he said.
“She’s not going to have an ounce of Washington, D.C., in her,” he said.
He added: “I think we’re long overdue to bring females front and center on the national scene. With (Clinton) out of the race, I think it’s important that the female gender be represented on one of the tickets.”
McCain, of Arizona, announced Friday that he was putting Palin on the ticket.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton — who supported Clinton — said Palin didn’t have enough experience and would leave the country with someone “fragile at the helm” if she became president.
Asked to clarify the use of the word “fragile,” Lawton said: “She has fragile preparation or little preparation to assume the position of commander in chief of the world’s superpower.”
Reince Priebus, chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, called Lawton’s initial comment sexist.
He said Palin was a great choice who, as a governor, had better experience than Sen. Barack Obama.
“She has the executive experience in running a very large state . . . and Barack Obama has a speech and a desire to run for president as his experience,” he said. “It was a brilliant pick and really just shows once again that independent, maverick streak of John McCain and why he’s going to make a great president.”
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a Republican contemplating a run for governor in 2010, called Palin a sharp contrast to Sen. Joe Biden, the Delaware Democrat whom Obama picked as his running mate.
“You’ve got a true ticket for change when it comes to shaking Washington up,” he said.
State Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said he had heard Palin’s name mentioned but didn’t think she would be chosen in the end.
“It’s a bold choice, that’s for sure,” he said.
In a statement, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle called Palin a “panic pick.”
“Sarah Palin is perfectly in step with John McCain on pushing Big Oil’s agenda and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies,” his statement says. “More disturbingly, his political Hail Mary threatens to put a first-term governor, who just two years ago was mayor of a town of 8,000, a heartbeat away from being commander in chief.”
Lawton and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) were skeptical that Palin would have much appeal for Clinton supporters.
Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
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