McCain's defense: 'It helps to be a mayor'
ST. PAUL, Minn. --"Of course," John McCain says, "it helps to be a mayor."
Maybe not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it's one of the answers Republican John McCain gave when pressed to explain why he thought his little-known running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is qualified to be vice president or even president.
In an ABC News interview Wednesday, McCain offered several others justifications for his faith in Palin.
--"Alaska is right next to Russia."
--"She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply."
--"She's commander of the Alaskan National Guard."
--"Well, the people of Alaska have vetted her."
--"She's got an incredible resume, including a beautiful family and a wonderful, loving, caring family. So I will think that, over time, people will compare her accomplishments with that of Senator Obama, and his are very meager."
--"She understands the energy issues better than anybody I know in Washington, D.C."
--"Governor Sarah Palin has 24,000 employees in the state government."
--"Of course, it helps to be mayor."
McCain also said Democrat Barack Obama's accomplishments are "very meager" and declared that his rival "has no knowledge or experience or judgment" on foreign policies.
Obama, 47, was elected to the Illinois state Senate in 1996 and to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Palin, 44, was elected mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, in 1996 and became governor in 2006.
After arguing for months that Obama doesn't have the experience to be president, McCain seems to be less of a stickler about resumes.
"This is what Americans want," he said after ticking off Palin's qualifications. "They don't want somebody who ... is, frankly, necessarily gone to Harvard or an Ivy League school." Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. 