California senator: 'Extremist' Palin not qualified to be VP

California senator: 'Extremist' Palin not qualified to be VP
Sen. Barbara Boxer drums up support for Obama during brief visit to Pittsburgh
Friday, September 12, 2008
By Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Senator Barbara Boxer, D- California, flew into Pittsburgh this afternoon to deliver a pep talk to Barack Obama's women supporters -- while ripping into her Senate colleague, John McCain, and his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, whom she said was an "extremist" unqualified to be vice president.

In a 45-minute-long appearance before about 60 people in the law offices of Thorp Reed & Armstrong, Downtown, Ms. Boxer said Mr. McCain did not have "the right temperament to be president," and tore into Mrs. Palin, saying her lack of knowledge about Bush Administration foreign policy made her an unsuitable candidate for vice president.

"She didn't know about the Bush doctrine," Ms. Boxer noted, citing the first installment of Mrs. Palin's interview with ABC News anchor Charles Gibson which aired last night. "Any elected official knows that means a pre-emptive strike of another country. She isn't qualified to be vice president."

A number of former Clinton supporters were in the audience, including City Council member Darlene Harris, former Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff, and Jean Milko, vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic party, as well as U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, who remained neutral during the primary, and state Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Beechview.

Before Ms. Boxer's arrival, Ms. Wagner told the group that as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, "I met Senator Obama before I even knew who he was," when Ms. Wagner was a member of the school's women's basketball team. After the Illinois senator's 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention, "one of my best friends called me up and said, 'Remember the guy who was always playing pick-up basketball with us? Well, that was Barack Obama.' "

Ms. Boxer urged the women at the gathering to get out and campaign for Mr. Obama, noting that the McCain-Palin ticket "has energized the far right of the electorate. We have to motivate moderates -- Democrats and Republicans," including those who supported Hillary Clinton.

The California Democrat -- whose daughter was once married to Mrs. Clinton's brother -- told the group that she remained neutral during the primary because "I love Hillary and I love Barack."

Recent polls showing a McCain "bounce" in several key battleground states have only energized her, she said, adding that she plans to campaign for Mr. Obama in Florida "and wherever they want to send me."

"These races are tough," she said in an interview after her appearance. "Nothing good every comes easy, but the American people want to see how you respond when you're leading and when you're behind -- they're always testing you, always watching you."

"But I saw a great poll for Obama out of Ohio!" she added cheerily as she headed off to the airport.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08256/911788-100.stm

good to hear Sophie Masloff is still around and active.

no bullshit Jewish grandma (even despite being from CA), just like our old mayor Masloff.