Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Tuesday that Democrat Barack Obama`s own foreign policy proposals could create crises that would test him as president, AP reported.

The Alaska governor raised the idea of a "looming crisis" in response to Democratic rival Joe Biden`s remark at weekend fundraisers that Obama would face a "generated crisis" within six months of becoming president because he would be tested by adversaries of the United States. On the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate John McCain also was using Biden`s remarks to question Obama`s readiness.

"I guess we gotta say, `Well, thanks for the warning, Joe,`" Palin said to cheers from about 2,500 supporters at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. "But I guess the looming crisis ... is Joe Biden`s next speaking engagement."

Видео дня

In Palin`s view, the potential crises would be sparked by Obama`s own actions. Playing off the Republican ticket`s previous criticisms of the Democratic nominee, she criticized Obama for:

_Advancing the idea of invading Pakistan without that government`s permission. Obama has said he would authorize an attack if the whereabouts of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden were known and Pakistan`s government were unable or unwilling to go after him.

Palin`s criticism, however, comes as the Bush administration has authorized attacks on al-Qaida targets within Pakistan, sparking criticism at times from Pakistan`s government. McCain, for his part, has said he would pursue bin Laden "to the gates of hell."

_Advocating sitting down with "the world`s worst dictators" without preconditions. Palin noted that Obama has said he would meet with the Iranian regime even though it has threatened Israel with destruction. For his part, Obama has contended that the U.S. should not be afraid to meet with its adversaries.

_Opposing the troop surge in Iraq and voting to cut funding to troops, which Palin said left those in Iraq at grave risk. Obama`s lone vote against a funding measure came because the bill did not include a timetable for withdrawal of troops; he followed with a vote for funding and has supported every other funding measure.

_Offering a weak response to Russia`s invasion of Georgia, which Palin said would encourage Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to invade the Ukraine. In August, when the two sides were fighting, Obama condemned Russia`s action and called for diplomacy and restraint by both countries.

Campaigning later in the day in Henderson, Palin made a direct play for female voters, particularly those who backed Obama`s primary rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Barack Obama just couldn`t bring himself to pick a woman who got 18 million votes in the primary," Palin said.

She told the crowd the situation was a "too familiar story."

"The qualifications were there, but for some reason the promotion never comes. There`s always some long explanation ... some unseen barrier, some excuse," Palin told a roaring crowd in the Las Vegas suburb.

In March, during a discussion about Clinton and complaints of sexism, the Alaska governor talked about a "perceived whine" from the candidate and how it didn`t help female candidates.

Palin also claimed that Obama pays the women on his Senate staff 17 percent less than the men.

Her charge, however, glossed over the central point of those who argue for gender pay equality: that there should be equal pay for equal work. In the latest report available on Obama`s Senate staff salaries, there are more than two dozen separate job titles among the 60 staff members listed, making such comparisons difficult. For one of the most common titles — legislative assistant — the average salary for the five men listed was $83,010 a year. The one woman with that title was paid $83,000. For six women whose title was "staff assistant," the average was $29,162 annually. For three men with the same title, the average was $30,664.

The Associated Press