By BRENDAN SCOTT and CHUCK BENNETT, Post Correspondents
Last updated: 12:04 pm
September 4, 2008
Posted: 4:10 am
September 4, 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sarah Palin introduced herself to the nation last night with a part-folksy, part-fiery convention speech, tongue-lashing Barack Obama and her critics and saying she's been slammed simply for being a Beltway outsider.
Palin, who made history as the first woman to run as vice president on the GOP ticket, proved her chops as presidential nominee John McCain's tough attack dog.
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The former high-school basketball star nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda" shoved back hard at critics who've questioned her light résumé.
She touted her background as a small-town Everygirl and "hockey mom" who drives herself home and got rid of the Alaska governor's luxury jet and personal chef.
"What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull?" she asked.
"Lipstick."
Obama: Palin's Speech Full of Lies
The crowd chanted "Sarah! Sarah" as delegates held hand-painted signs saying "Hockey Moms 4 Palin."
The mom of five smiled sweetly and thanked her fans - then came out swinging against Obama.
"What exactly is our opponent's plan?" she asked, and then mocked him, saying: "What does he actually seek to accomplish after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?"
She made fun of the Greek forum staging at Obama's convention acceptance speech, wondering what happens "when the Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot."
On foreign policy, she said, "Victory in Iraq is finally in sight; he wants to forfeit . . . Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America; he's worried that someone won't read them their rights."
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