Governor calls Palin 'perfect' candidate

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is the "perfect" candidate for the battleground state of Missouri, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt said Sunday.

In an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation" program, the Republican governor said, "She understands the real world. She understands the struggles that ordinary families face. She is the type of person we need in Washington, D.C. She's a proven reformer. And she's been a great help in Missouri, as we move forward this campaign."

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who supports Democrat Barack Obama, called Republican John McCain's selection of Palin to be his running mate a mark of "extremely bad judgment" that would hurt his campaign in Florida.

"I mean, there have been several examples of John McCain's bad judgment, Sarah Palin being the top of the list, as far as choices are concerned," she said.

Wasserman Schultz added that Palin, the governor of Alaska, has "really disturbed" the Jewish community in the Sunshine State, despite her strong position on Israel.

"She has extreme right-wing fringe views on most of the issues that the Jewish community cares about … opposed to a woman's right to choose, even in the case of rape or incest … really wrong on civil rights and civil liberties, wrong on public education, wrong on healthcare," she said.