The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. — Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius continues to criticize Sarah Palin’s selection as the Republican vice presidential nominee, and a state GOP official said Thursday that Sebelius is whining.
“Kathleen Sebelius should talk about things she knows about,” said Christian Morgan, the Kansas GOP’s executive director.
On Wednesday, while visiting the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, Sebelius said no company CEO would ever choose a top lieutenant and potential successor the way that McCain picked Palin, the Alaska governor, as his running mate.
Sebelius told The Hutchinson News that the choice is “a little frightening,” because of what it says about how McCain makes decisions. Sebelius said her vetting process as a possible running mate for Barack Obama was extensive.
Sebelius noted that McCain wrapped up his primary contest early and had six months to decide on a running mate. She cited news accounts that McCain met the Alaska governor only once before he announced her as his choice for vice president.
The governor said McCain seemed to be “desperate to infuse new life” into the Republican ticket in naming Palin.
Sebelius has campaigned regularly for Obama. She planned to lead three town hall meetings Friday in Indiana on economic issues for his campaign.
She was on Obama’s short list for vice president, before Obama chose Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. Activists in both parties have speculated that should Obama win, he’ll offer Sebelius a Cabinet job.
Democrats argue that McCain is likely to continue President Bush’s policies, despite describing himself and Palin as reformers.
The day after Palin’s speech last week to the Republican National Convention, the Kansas governor said: “She mastered the words written by the Bush speechwriters and delivered them well. But what we didn’t hear was what people talk to me about every day.”
On Tuesday, during a Statehouse news conference, she said she believes voters are looking for “a new direction” for the federal government.
“Certainly, there’s an initial, I think, excitement about having a woman on the ticket. It’s a novelty,” she said.
Morgan said Sebelius sees that Palin’s selection has helped McCain’s campaign. For example, recent polls in the key battleground states of Florida and Pennsylvania suggested that McCain had gained ground on Obama.
Kansas isn’t a key state because of its reliable Republican record in presidential contests. No Democrat has carried the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
“Kathleen Sebelius can whine all she wants about vetting process,” he said. “Unfortunately for Kathleen Sebelius, the American people are the ones who make the decisions, not her.”
As for vetting, Morgan noted that Sebelius helped recruit Paul Morrison to switch to the Democratic Party to run for attorney general in 2006. Morrison won but was forced to resign in January because of a sex scandal.
“If we want to talk about poor vetting and poor decision-making, we don’t have to look any further than the governor’s office,” Morgan said.
