Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison contrasted the full-throated defense of Sarah Palin by some in her party and lowered the bar Wednesday by offering her own statesman-like, cautious praise for the vice presidential nominee.
Asked if Ms. Palin is ready to be vice president, Ms. Hutchison said that "she offers a lot to the ticket. We'll see in the coming weeks how she does, where she goes. And I think she's going to do fine."
Ms. Hutchison said that Ms. Palin brings vitality to the ticket and a Washington outsider's ability to shake things up – but that she will have a lot to learn.
"There's no question that she's young, a new governor. And does she have the same experience as John McCain or Joe Biden? No," Ms. Hutchison said.
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