Barbara Boxer on Sarah Palin: A harsh attack

As an unswerving member of the left wing of the Democratic Party, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California wasn't going to be much impressed with whomever John McCain selected as a running mate.

Still, her reaction to the pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is noteworthy for its sharpness, especially given Boxer's commitment to feminist causes. Here's Boxer statement:

The vice president is a heartbeat away from becoming president, so to choose someone with not one hour’s worth of experience on national issues is a dangerous choice.

If John McCain thought that choosing Sarah Palin would attract Hillary Clinton voters, he is badly mistaken.

The only similarity between her and Hillary Clinton is that they are both women.  On the issues, they could not be further apart.

Sen. McCain had so many other options if he wanted to put a woman on his ticket, such as Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe -– they would have been an appropriate choice compared to this dangerous choice.

In addition, Sarah Palin is under investigation by the Alaska state legislature, which makes this more incomprehensible.

Snowe, considered by many in the GOP a RINO -- Republican in Name Only -- never was a vice presidential prospect. Hutchison's name surfaced over the last few days as a strong possibility, but her stance in favor of abortion rights likely made her a non-starter for the McCain camp.

-- Don Frederick

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., makes a point during her address at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. AP photo by Ron Edmonds

Comments

[Traci]

Can this person even discuss intelligently what is going on with the Economy in the lower 48 states.

HOME FORECLOSURES IN ALASKA???

How about traffic issues and infra-structure problems?

The only thing she can talk about is SNOW REMOVAL - maybe.

But because the town she was the Mayor of only had 6,000 people ---what would she do in a situation like KATRINA -- when 2.5 million needed to evacuated.

THIS JOB IS WAY OVER HER HEAD!

This is a slap in the face to all women who put in the time and the effort - get "vetted" and to bring CREDENTIALS to the table. Hell --- he could have went to STARBUCKS and found a candidate of this caliber.

[Indy Mike]

Executive experience for less than 24 months of a state of a population of less than 700,000 is not any more "executive experience" than most mayor's of this country. Not impressed with her "executive experience"

[M. Sangfroid]

An Obama victory is now assured by the Palin selection.

Stunning! Another right wingnut, evangelical right to lifer with zip experience who likely watches the Fllintstones as a documentary. From ALASKA!

[deevoevo911]

Hello Barbara?
Would you pass the word along to Barack and Joe and all the boys that I, along with a lot of other women like myself, will be voting McCain-Palin in November if for no other reason than to show you what happens when you treat women (re: Hillary) like second class citizens. I was an ardent supporter of Hillary even though I am Pro Life. I now like the Republican ticket. Call me any name in the book, you've still lost my vote. And Barbara, Barack's resume could be written on a post-it. Sarah Palin's experience is considerably more than his.

[Richard]

McCain has chosen a new direction for the country. Further into the toilet!

[Undecided Female Democrat]

As a registered Democrat who is undecided this helps win me over to the McCain/Palin ticket. Mrs. Palin sounds like a breath of fresh air. I like what I have read so far. She is no nonsense and sounds very capable and willing to wade through the beaucracy of our federal government. I like mavericks who do the right thing and don't worry about their party. I look forward to the debates.....I will listen with great intent so I can make my decision....Barbara Boxer you have it so wrong......

[Jeff]

Boxer is right that the only thing Palin and Clinton have in common is their gender. So any true Clinton backer wouldn't vote for McCain just because he pick Palin. I remember watching new clips about eight months ago with interviews with young rural women saying that they didn't think a woman was capable of running the country. Wonder if they still feel that way. With an old geezer as prez, they might get a woman running the country before they ever imagined.

[Andrew]

Barbara--you're so wrong and so bad for America. More women are good at heart and love their families like Ms. Palin than you, thank God.
She is so far above you, faux Catholic.

[Jon]

I am a man who supported Hillary. I was going to voite for a third party candidate once Hillary was booted by the Dems. I wasnt even dreaming of voting for McCain. Now, I have changed my mind. I will now consider McCain. Dems messed up when they FAILED to first elect Hillary as the Dem Candidate then Barack failed when he could not reach over the aisle in his own party to put his petty cattiness aside to ask Hillary to be his running mate.

One of my favorite lines from Hillary this years is: "Shame on you Barack Obama!!!

[VISHAL]

Obama beat the CLINTONS. A fresh face from nowhere beat the Clinton Legacy. PALIN you would not have been able to come even close. She is getting a free ride.

She is a nobody. God save this country if she becomes a president. MCSenile has lost his mind.

[Kathryn Ross]

I think Sarah Palin did the right thing to have her downs syndrome baby but she seems to have forgotten about taking care of her special needs baby who is only 4 months old. What would she do in the likely event her vulnerable little baby was in crisis at the same time the country was in crisis? It's a conflict of interest women who are moms and professional women, like myself, will consider even it the media is too politically correct to raise the question.

[Jaime]

Sarah Palin’s “feminism” is unmistakably Feminist Backlash, as are the attempts made by McCain and others to associate her with women’s rights and empowerment.
Let's say it together: "No way, no how, no McCain!"

[Janine B]

It's amazing to me the amount of blogging attacks against Palin before most of the country even begins to know who she is and what she stands for. Makes me think that this IS a shakeup. I think some people are concerned that this is the shot in the arm that McCain needed. Yes, it's going to be interesting. LOL

[Mike]

For goodness sakes, folks. Let's hear what the woman has to say before forming opinions. If she's sharp or a dud, we'll know soon enough.
If you're ready to make a decision based on what talking heads and blogs have to say, you shouldn't be voting anyway.

[sandy]

This woman would not have achieved this on her own. She only got picked coz McSenile has a taste for young woman and he wants Hilarys Voters.

but people please remember there is a HUGE HUGE difference between hilary and Sarah. Sarah will never ever be like Hilary. Even Hilary would not have achieved what she did if she was not married to Bill.

But OBAMA did everything on his own. If he could beat the clintons he can fix this country.

[Katie Walker]

The liberal democrats are attacking Palin as inexperienced - How funny! The liberals should get their nominees order correct: Biden/Obama; not Obama,/Biden. I feel sorry for the liberal democrats to put an empty suit and socialist on top of their ticket - Clinton/Obama would have been a formidable ticket.

[Carry]

From an MSNBC interview:

"As for that VP talk all the time, I tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me: what is it exactly that the VP does everyday?" - Sarah Palin, your future Vice President.

youtube "What Does a VP do?"

[Ezer]

Sarah Palin is America's Margaret Thatcher. Maggie Thatcher did not have foreign policy expreience either.

[Robt. Braam]

Ms. Palin will not long remain the Republican candidate.
She is currently being investigated for abuse of power.
She apparently fired a Commissioner who refused to fire a State Trooper who was divorcing her sister.

This is a shame.

Republicans need to reassert their assertion that they respect the rule of law.
To nominate a candidate based on her record of anti-corruption, only to find that she is corrupt herself, is an embarrassment.

Cut her loose and start again.

[D. Quayle]

By the way, where is Alaska?

[Russell Abraham]

John McCain needs to be acutely aware that he is 72 and a four time cancer survivor. There is a reason we have the office of vice president and it is NOT there to garner votes from specific constituencies. Sara Palin may indeed be a smart, aggressive and reform minded woman, but put her in a room with say, Ahmadinejad or Sarkozy or Putin and I think we have a major problem.
Mr. McCain's primary campaign push has been his superior experience and judgment. His selection of Ms. Palin shows little of either. This is painful. America deserves better and John McCain should know that.

Russell

[Wendy]

McCain has just forfeited all license to criticize Obama's lack of experience and young age --one of McCain's few strong attacking points. The logic of his campaign doesn't make sense any more for me.

[Vincent]

Sarah Palin has more, and more relevant, experience and has accomplished far more than Barak Obama. Attacking her for an alleged lack of experience is going to backfire in a hurry. Choosing her was brilliant. A smart, tough, woman with principles that she's not afraid to put into practice, both in office and in her private life, and someone who shares McCain's prolife convictions and passion for reform. She will galvanize the conservatives, attract the moderates, and charm everybody. A ticket with character, a ticket with a passion for reform, a dream ticket....a winning ticket! I'm getting giddy. Stop me before I gush again!!!

[orion]

Good Choice McCain. add one more life time democrat Hillary backer to the McCain voting block. Nobama was a fool not to take Hillary for VP. His arrogance will be his downfall.

[girlinflux]

Palin's governed a state that has more acreage and trees than people for less than two years. A population of 700,000 is a suburb of any major city in America.