Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke Wednesday
night before the Republican National Convention, defending her
experience as a small-town mayor and governor of Alaska and taking a
swipe at the Democratic ticket.
Palin told delegates in St. Paul, Minnesota that the Democrats, in her words, "look down" on her experience.
Palin said being mayor is like being a community organizer -- "except
you have actual responsibilities" -- a jab at Democratic presidential
nominee, Senator Barack Obama, who was a community organizer in Chicago.
Palin said she will go to Washington to serve the people of the United
States, and not to seek the approval of the media and Washington elite.
She praised Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain as
the right choice to be commander in chief and said he was right to
support the U.S. troop surge in Iraq.
Palin is the first female Republican vice presidential candidate, but
critics says the first-term governor and relative unknown is
inexperienced.
After Palin's speech, the delegates formally nominated McCain the party's presidential nominees.
Obama's vice presidential candidate, Senator Joe Biden, praised Palin's
delivery of her speech. But, in comments on ABC's "Good Morning
America" program, he also noted she did not mention health care,
education or the housing crisis.
Today’s report includes an interview with Dr. Joynul Abedin, Chairman of Bangladeshi-Americans for John McCain and Co-Chair of Asian Americans for John McCain. He described the mood of the convention and the reaction of the delegates and Republican Party faithfuls at the convention.
