Rudy Giuliani comes to VP pick Sarah Palin's defense
Rudy Giuliani defended the GOP's vice presidential pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, as having more executive experience than Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden "combined."
Giuliani, who failed in his own bid to be president and got passed over for vice president, kept up his new, designated role: Republican attack dog for John McCain.
Having spent part of last week in Denver, where he gleefully lobbed shots at the Democrats' convention, Giuliani picked up the ball yesterday by contrasting Palin's 20 months as governor with Obama and Biden's experience in the legislative branch.
"Maybe it's my own background as a mayor and United States attorney, but this whole idea of executive experience to me would really qualify her," Giuliani said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
"I mean I think that she already has more executive experience than Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden combined."
click to viewWhen moderator Bob Schieffer asked how Palin's experience as a mayor and governor in little populated Alaska could outweigh Obama's and Biden's, Giuliani chuckled.
"Sure. You know why?" said Giuliani. "She had to make decisions. All Sen. Obama has had to do is talk. That's all he does."
Sen. Fred Thompson, another failed presidential contender, added to the refrain when he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Wolf, I hate to break it to you, but you don't get national experience by being on the Sunday talk shows….She has more experience than Barack Obama."
Speaking on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanapolous," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) added, "She's done things Obama would never dream of."
Palin's qualifications was one of the two major talking points yesterday on the Sunday shows, the other being Hurricane Gustav.
Because of the storm, Republicans were weighing whether to delay, shorten or even cancel portions of the four day event, which tomorrow was supposed to include a prime-time keynote speech by Giuliani.
The former mayor is an interesting choice for the keynote, which is usually a chance to serve up heaping portions of political red meat to the party faithful.
But Giuliani is pro-choice, pro-gay rights and has favored strict gun controls in the past, all positions that place him outside the party's conservative base.
"We disagree about that," Giuliani said about his pro-choice views in a sit-down with The News. " But I don't disagree on the fact that John McCain is very well qualified to be president, and I have the extra added advantage of having announced that when I was a candidate [for president].... That he should be the president if I wasn't able to win."
