Liberal Mike Gravel: Palin is a ver very good Choice

Former Sen. Mike Gravel is a liberal who sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year, but he is staunchly defending the choice of a conservative fellow Alaskan, Sarah Palin, as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
In a radio interview conducted during the GOP National Convention, Gravel — who represented Alaska in the Senate from 1969 to 1981, said the so-called “Troopergate” issue would play out in Palin’s favor.
“I have no particular negatives with respect to her,” he said of the Alaska governor.
“Obviously she holds some ideological views that I disagree with, but McCain, in my mind, made a very good choice…
“I don’t hold many views with respect to McCain, but McCain has been an on and off maverick — I wish he’s been a lot more on than off — but he picked a person who is very, very unusual.
“She has had the courage to put integrity above party. She stood up to the Republican Party and the corruption therein within Alaska.”
sked if he thought Palin, in light of her inexperience, was ready to lead, Gravel — who switched to the Libertarian Party in March — snapped: “That’s the same old political garbage, and that’s one of the reasons I applaud, as a former Democrat, as a Libertarian, I applaud his selection of Sarah Palin. She hasn’t put up with … that kind of partisan, silly rhetoric.”
Gravel said Palin’s “thin resume” could actually prove to be an asset. “The longer people stay in politics, the more likelihood they have of getting corrupted,” he said in the interview.
But he noted that Palin, who became governor in December 2006 after serving as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, “has more executive experience than Obama, McCain and Biden put together.”