McCain, Palin draw big crowd, earmark questions

FAIRFAX, Va. — There was no lipstick involved, but the pit bull made a return to the national scene Wednesday.

In a speech before an estimated 15,000 in a local park, GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin defended herself against attacks from Democrats on her record and went after Democratic nominee Barack Obama for his.

{mosads}She and GOP nominee John McCain made a foray into the bluest part of the state — Northern Virginia — instead of a more red-friendly area to build on their momentum in a state that continues to poll like a swing state, despite its GOP-heavy history. Obama won the state in the Democratic primary and has invested considerable time, staff and money in Virginia.

Palin acknowledged that the state is in doubt and then fought back against charges leveled in recent days by Democrats — specifically, that she only opposed the infamous Bridge to Nowhere earmark in her home state once it was already doomed.

The Alaska governor suggested the Obama campaign is hypocritical for making it such an issue.

“I didn’t think he’d want to go there,” she said. “In just three years, our opponent has requested nearly a billion dollars in earmarks.”

Palin then reminded those gathered that she has something Obama doesn’t — executive experience in government.

“Our opponent was requesting a billion dollars in earmarks as a senatorial privilege. What I was doing was vetoing half a billion as an executive responsibility,” she said.

Palin also fought the perception that her time as mayor of a town of 9,000 residents doesn’t qualify her to be next in line for the presidency.

Talking about her experience as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin called it a “small town,” but slyly drew out the word “small.”

“As the mayor of a small town, I shook up the old system and took on the good old boys,” Palin said.

“And let me remind you people that government is not always the answer. In fact, too often government is the problem.”

{mospagebreak}She said that in the presidential race, GOP nominee John McCain “is the only one ready to serve us as the 44th president.”

The Arizona senator also praised Palin’s executive experience, noting that she has helped facilitate a $40 billion natural-gas pipeline in Alaska.

McCain followed Palin by repeating his mantra from the Republican National Convention last week that “change is coming,” saying it three times in succession at one point.

{mosads}The Obama campaign responded by pointing out that Alaska is the biggest beneficiary of federal pork and that Palin requested earmarks as mayor of Wasilla.

“John McCain’s idea of changing Washington is a vice presidential candidate who, as governor, requested more pork per person than any other state in the country,” said spokesman Tommy Vietor.

“The truth is, Sarah Palin is one of the most successful collectors of pork-barrel funding in history, and she’ll fit right in with John McCain’s Washington herd.”

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was also defending Obama on Wednesday, zeroing in on Republican charges of sexism and suggesting the GOP ticket was trying to distract voters from real issues.

Clinton refrained from directly attacking Palin during a news conference but drew a bright line between the two campaigns and showed Palin does not share her views.

“I see nothing from the McCain-Palin ticket that really suggests, even, that they understand the depth of economic distress in this country, the tragedy of the uninsured who cannot get healthcare, the problems that we face, from home foreclosures to dependence on foreign oil, and so much else,” Clinton said.

But later in the day Clinton rejected the suggestion that she is avoiding direct criticism of Palin, saying she simply prefers to focus on the Alaska governor’s stance on issues.

In a brief interview with The Hill, Clinton noted that she campaigned for Obama on Monday in Florida and suggested that the media’s recent coverage of Palin is too focused on her as a personality.

“I’m answering the questions I was asked, and I have a very strong view that this campaign is about the differences between the two teams and the effects that would have, depending upon who’s elected, on the American people,” Clinton said. “Obviously I’m strongly supporting Sen. Obama and Sen. [Joe] Biden. I answered this question in Florida and I answered it today in the District of Columbia, and I’m going to keep answering it, to do everything I can to keep this campaign focused on the real differences, the clear contrasts between the two tickets.”

McCain’s selection of Palin has shaken up the campaign in a move that seems aimed directly at luring female Clinton supporters.

Clinton has urged her supporters to back Obama and his running mate, Biden (D-Del.), noting that Palin would likely get behind McCain’s views on important issues they value.

“John McCain is the top of the ticket and we know where he stands on equal pay — he’s against it,” Clinton said at the press conference. “It’s the usual practice that whoever is the vice presidential nominee adopts the position of the presidential nominee, and on issue after issue after issue …”
Clinton also dismissed talk that Obama’s comment about “putting lipstick on a pig” was directed at Palin. Clinton said Obama “has made it abundantly clear that it was in no way meant as an affront. I believe him.”