Obama supporter points to Palin's earmarks

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A key supporter of Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Sunday took aim at Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee.

In an appearance on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said Palin, the first-term Alaska governor, is not the government reformer Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign has painted her to be.

"Sarah Palin has taken more in federal earmarks per person than any governor in the history of the planet. She asked -- while John McCain was making fun of DNA earmarks for bears, she was asking for a DNA earmark for seals," McCaskill said.

Carly Fiorina, a McCain adviser, shot back, saying Obama has asked for almost $1 billion worth of earmarks during his time in the Senate.

Fiorina also criticized a comment by McCaskill that if elected McCain would be one of the oldest U.S. presidents.

"I frankly find this disrespectful in the extreme," she said. "I think this continued resort to 'he's too old' is desperation, frankly -- not to mention disrespectful to a very capable commander in chief," she said.