Bush 'energised and excited' by McCain VP choice

Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington, Aug 30 (PTI) US President George W Bush has
hailed the selection of Alaska's little-known female governor
Sarah Palin as the running mate of Republican presidential
nominee John McCain calling her a "proven reformer" who is a
"wise steward" of taxpayers dollars.

"Today, Senator McCain made an exciting decision in
choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to join him on his
ticket as the vice presidential candidate. Governor Palin is a
proven reformer who is a wise steward of taxpayer dollars and
champion for accountability in government" Bush said in a
statement.

"I applaud Senator McCain for selecting Governor Palin.
This decision is yet another example of why the American
people can trust him to make wise decisions and to confidently
lead this country," he said.

The White House made it known that it had no role
whatsoever in the choice of Senator McCain but said it was
privy to the information on the selection of Governor Palin
about an hour earlier than when it came out in the media.

The White House has also announced that President Bush
will be speaking on major domestic and foreign policy themes
on Monday night at the Republican National Convention in
St.Paul, Minnesota; but Bush will not be resorting to either
drawing up his legacy or attacking Obama, it has been said.

"The speech expresses gratitude. The president will thank
his family, his administration, and, most of all, the
friends, supporters, and volunteers in the convention hall who
have supported him and the Republican agenda for these past
eight years. The speech reviews the major issues facing the
country, from terrorism and war, to the economy and the
direction of our culture," Press Secretary Dana Perino said in
her briefing.

"The speech reflects on the role of the presidency and
the qualities that are demanded by the job and makes the case
that John McCain is the best qualified to be our next leader
and commander-in-chief," Perino said.

"... do not expect the speech to define the
president's legacy. This is not an opportunity to recap
accomplishments over the past seven-and-a-half years. It will
not serve as a farewell to the American people, and it
certainly will not attack Barack Obama," she said.

But as expected the Obama campaign slammed the choice
of Governor Palin as the running mate of Senator McCain
stressing that she had "zero" experience in foreign affairs.

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of
9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away
from the presidency," spokesman Bill Burton said in a
statement.

The choice of 44-year-old Palin has been hailed in
many conservative quarters and seen as a bold effort by McCain
to attract Democratic and independent supporters of Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton who believe that the New York Democrat
was denied her fair shot by party bosses.

"We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's
historic nomination and I congratulate here Senator McCain.
While their policies would take America in the wrong
direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to
the debate," Senator Clinton said in a statement.