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Last update - 17:36 01/09/2008
Jewish Democrats: Palin is out of step with Jewish public opinion
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
Tags: Palin, Clinton, McCain, Obama

Following U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain's announcement that he had selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate on Friday, the National Jewish Democratic Council issued a statement saying that McCain's judgment appears "lacking."

"Today, Senator John McCain made his first critical decision with his selection of his vice Presidential running mate. In Governor Sarah Palin McCain chooses a running mate with zero foreign policy experience and a brewing scandal which is being investigated by the Alaska state legislature," said the group's Executive Director Ira N. Forman in a statement on Saturday.

Comparing the newly named vice presidential nominee to her Democratic counterpart Senator Joe Biden, the statement went on to say "the contrast with Joe Biden could not be starker and more unfavorable for the soon to be Republican nominee."
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"For a party which claims it is trying to reach out to the Jewish community, McCain's pick is particularly strange," Forman continued. "Prior to today's selection, Palin apparently has never spoken publicly about Israel. Moreover, on a broad range of issues ? most strikingly on the issue of women's reproductive freedom ? she is totally out of step with Jewish public opinion. The gulf between Palin's public policy positions and the American Jewish community is best illustrated by the fact that the Christian Coalition of America was one of the strongest advocates of her selection."

In contrast, the Republican Jewish Coalition issued a very different response to McCain's running mate selection, saying that the choice demonstrated his good judgment and commitment to challenging politics-as-usual.

"As governor of Alaska, Palin has enjoyed a strong working relationship with Alaska's Jewish community. She has demonstrated sensitivity to the concerns of the community and has been accessible and responsive," said Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks.

"Palin has a proven track record of experienced and principled leadership. Palin has been a leader on the critical issue of energy independence and lessening our need to buy oil from nations not sharing American and Israel's foreign policy," the statement went on to say.

"Palin is anything but the typical Washington pick. A former commercial fisherman and mother of five children, Palin is an exciting and vibrant leader. She will bring a unique perspective to the presidential campaign. Her frontier spirit and triumph over adversity will benefit John McCain and the entire Republican ticket," Brooks added.

Earlier Friday, McCain tapped the little-known Alaska Governor to be his vice presidential running mate in a startling selection days before the start of the Republican National Convention.

Two senior campaign officials disclosed McCain's decision a few hours before the Republican presidential nominee-to-be and his newly-minted running mate appeared at a rally in swing-state Ohio.

Palin is a self-styled political reformer who has been governor of her state less than two years.

Palin's selection shocked numerous Republican officials. At its basis, the decision apparently stems from a bid to draw the votes of Hillary Clinton supporters away from Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

In making his pick, McCain passed over several more prominent prospects who had figured in speculation for months - Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge among them.

At 44, Palin is a generation younger that Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, who is Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket.

She is three years Obama's junior, as well - and McCain has made much in recent weeks of Obama's relative lack of experience in foreign policy and defense matters.

Palin flew overnight to an airport in Ohio near Dayton, and even as she awaited her formal introduction, some aides said they had believed she was at home in Alaska.

She is a former mayor of Wasilla who became governor of her state in December, 2006 after ousting a governor of her own party in a primary and then dispatching a former governor in the general election.

More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.

On September 11, 2007, the Palins' eighteen-year-old son Track, eldest of her five children, joined the U.S. army and will be deployed to Iraq next month.

Sarah Paulin hunts, eats moose hamburger, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, and owns a float plane. She holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.

In response to McCain's selection, Obama's campaign spokesman Bill Burton said Friday that "today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. 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."

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      1.   She is also hard anti-abortion and conservative religious 18:52  |  Mark B. 29/08/08
      2.   McCain`s wrong selection 19:00  |  Brod 29/08/08
      3.   WELL, WELL, WELL, MOM WITH 5 CHILDREN 19:01  |  indrajaya 29/08/08
      4.   Eat your Heart out, burned Democrats!!! 19:12  |  Azencott 29/08/08
      5.   Brod, I would appreciate your posts more 19:16  |  Mark B. 29/08/08
      6.   Mark B. #1 19:17  |  Brod 29/08/08
      7.   Bye, bye McCain 19:23  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 29/08/08
      8.   The desperation of a tired old man! 19:27  |  Larry 29/08/08
      9.   Palin as Veep, Huh???? 19:28  |  Cosmo 29/08/08
      10.   New government 19:42  |  Kent 29/08/08
      11.   Alaska`s Governor 19:43  |  Alaskan 29/08/08
      12.   She will not bring in the Hillary clingers. 19:49  |  Stephen 29/08/08
      13.   McCain-Palin 20:04  |  Gail 29/08/08
      14.   #4 Alaskan 20:06  |  Azencott 29/08/08
      15.   McCain`s pandering VP pick ensures Obama/Biden win 20:13  |  BBSNews 29/08/08
      16.   #6 Trooper-gate!! This was a dumb pick. 20:14  |  ballistic 29/08/08
      17.   Experience 20:18  |  Jeff 29/08/08
      18.   #7, the good Dr. from Oakland 20:23  |  Azencott 29/08/08
      19.   Mark B. 20:23  |  Connie 29/08/08
      20.   Typical leftist attacks 20:25  |  Maurice 29/08/08
      21.   She`s pro-life, Hillary`s(Obama`s) troops are pro choice 20:32  |  jewish doctor 29/08/08
      22.   SARAH PALIN & MCCAIN IN BIBLE CODE 20:34  |  Barry Roffman 29/08/08
      23.   Is that the best you got? 20:42  |  Nathan Nagelkerk 29/08/08
      24.   Gove. Palin 20:42  |  Sy Dill 29/08/08
      25.   Saw her/learning about her.So far looks like home run for McCain. 20:44  |  Pssd off American. 29/08/08
      26.   First and Last Bad Decision 20:46  |  DJ 29/08/08
      27.   Is she Jewish? 20:51  |  Tulip 29/08/08
      28.   OBAMA 20:55  |  Kent 29/08/08
      29.   #11 Alaskan.....She turned down a bridge to 20:59  |  Lynn 29/08/08
      30.   I might vote McCain-Palin now 21:00  |  Terry 29/08/08
      31.   Don`t Agree with Geneve, Switzerland 21:03  |  Great Granny 29/08/08
      32.   # 6 Brod....you have no idea and are far off the mark 21:07  |  Lynn 29/08/08
      33.   Sarah Palin is a feminist 21:20  |  Anonymous 29/08/08
      34.   For those of you who know anything about politics, this was a 21:28  |  Jan 29/08/08
      35.   Don`t you know the Billary`s are fit to be tied over this!!! 21:30  |  Chelsea 29/08/08
      36.   # - you need to say why or your post is simply negtivism 21:34  |  redmike 29/08/08
      37.   Brod, Cosmo, rest of you..... 21:35  |  Dave from Chicago 29/08/08
      38.   good for the Jews? how many Alaskan Jews? 21:40  |  leucippe 29/08/08
      39.   Palin is a GREAT choice 21:40  |  marat 29/08/08
      40.   What Sarah is introducing 21:47  |  Azencott 29/08/08
      41.   #8 - a big difference - Obama is running for President and Palin 21:47  |  redmike 29/08/08
      42.   Alaska`s Governor 21:57  |  Alaskan 29/08/08
      43.   Cognitive Declines 22:00  |  Moses 29/08/08
      44.   Let me get this straight... 22:11  |  curious george 29/08/08
      45.   Palin a Great Choice 22:13  |  nic 29/08/08
      46.   Lynn #14 22:14  |  Brod 29/08/08
      47.   #10 Kent - you forgot a few 22:14  |  Gregor 29/08/08
      48.   Dave #19 22:19  |  Brod 29/08/08
      49.   nic #29 22:22  |  Brod 29/08/08
      50.   McCain has snatched defeat from the jaws of possible victory 22:32  |  JH 29/08/08
      51.   nic from LA, thanks for standing with Israel ..... 22:34  |  Dave from Chicago 29/08/08
      52.   McCain sane? Senile? 22:42  |  Miransky 29/08/08
      53.   leucippe #23, Obama has 0 relationships with Jews 22:44  |  JM 29/08/08
      54.   #26 Redmike--there is no difference 22:46  |  Politinskov 29/08/08
      55.   obama`s pick 22:47  |  paresh shah 29/08/08
      56.   Look, Palin has EXECUTIVE experience,Nobama,Biden,& McCain don`t. 22:47  |  jc 29/08/08
      57.   Experience and these confused posters 22:49  |  Matthew 29/08/08
      58.   Brilliant choice 22:50  |  MarkC 29/08/08
      59.   Why I Love This Pick... 22:57  |  Confusesus 29/08/08
      60.   Another women who could kick Obama`s butt... 22:58  |  Dave from Chicago 29/08/08
      61.   bye bye obama 22:58  |  jacques 29/08/08
      62.   first impression 22:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/08/08
      63.   This is what Palin really accomplishes here 22:59  |  Olin 29/08/08
      64.   Alaska Jews 23:00  |  Mark 29/08/08
      65.   a real choice for areal change without pie in the sky promises 23:00  |  vhardman 29/08/08
      66.   Palin = McCains only chance to win 23:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/08/08
      67.   Kent of TN @# 10 23:06  |  Akiva P 29/08/08
      68.   Maccain again 23:06  |  zuz 29/08/08
      69.