Lieberman On Palin: "Thank God She's Not Going To Have To Be President From Day One"

October 27, 2008 9:19 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), a campaign surrogate of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), gave a surprising statement over the weekend about what he thought about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Replying to a question from The Stamford Advocate during a conference call on Friday, Lieberman said of Palin, "Thank God she's not going to have to be president from day one. McCain's going to be alive and well."

He added, "Let's hope she never has to be ready because we hope McCain is elected and live out his term," Lieberman said. "But if, God forbid, an accident occurs or something of that kind, she'll be ready. She's had executive experience. She's smart. And she will have had on-the-job training."

Lieberman, an "independent-Democrat" who was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2000 and one of the key speakers in the Republican National Convention this year, seemed to be addressing persistent concerns that McCain, who at 72 years will be the oldest American president in history if he wins, might not complete a term at the White House.

His sentiments about Palin are less clear. Lieberman, according to the Advocate, "scolded reporters for asking him questions about" Republicans who have spoken against McCain's choice of Palin as running mate.

Last week, a prominent conservative who served as an adviser to McCain left the campaign, according to the New Republic. Charles Fried, a Harvard Law School professor and Reagan appointee, announced in a letter to the McCain campaign that he had voted for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) primarily because of "the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis."

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, in his endorsement of Obama a week ago, said he doesn't believe Palin is ready to be president.

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker has also written in the Washington Post, "It's increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions require her promotion."

Last week, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heaped praise for Palin but also said, "I think that she will get to be qualified."

Palin, a 44-year old mother of five, is credited with raising enthusiasm for the Republican ticket when she was named as McCain's choice for vice president on Aug. 29. But she has been continuously beleaguered by negative reports since that time. Critics said she falsely claimed to have opposed a controversial project called "the Bridge to Nowhere," and tried to stifle a three-month long ethics investigation into her dismissal of an Alaska state official.

Her statements - including one where she said she has foreign policy experience because her state is beside Russia, and another where she says the vice president is "in charge" of the Senate - have also been decried by critics as evidence of her inexperience. Recently, she has had to fight off a report that said the Republican party had spent a total of $150,000 on clothes and makeup for her since she was included to the ticket.

The latest Pew national poll says 49 percent of voters have a negative view of Palin, while 44 percent view her positively. Her favorable to unfavorable ratio in mid-September was 54-32 percent. Significantly, 60 percent of women now have an unfavorable view of Palin, up from 36 percent in mid-September