Dems Pounce on Palin Pick

Democrats jumped at the opportunity to frame Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) as inexperienced and unqualified minutes after John McCain announced the Alaska Republican will be his running mate.

“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,” Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.

“Governor Palin shares John McCain’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies — that’s not the change we need, it’s just more of the same,” said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.”

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) also issued a statement attacking Palin’s inexperience, calling the pick “troubling.”

“Certainly the choice of Palin puts to rest any argument about inexperience on the Democratic team and while Palin is a fine person, her lack of experience makes the thought of her assuming the presidency troubling,” Schumer said.

Schumer added, “I particularly look forward to the Biden-Palin debate in Missouri.”

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) said the pick shows “panic” on the McCain campaign’s part, as well as a lack of “judgment.”

“Is this really who the Republican Party wants to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency?” Emanuel said in a statement. “Given Sarah Palin’s lack of experience on every front and on nearly every issue, this Vice Presidential pick doesn’t show judgment: it shows political panic.”

In announcing the pick the McCain campaign hailed Palin’s record as a reformer, but did not call attention to her recent term as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population of less than 10,000) saying only that she “is ready to be president.”