http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1219913200960&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Jewish groups on both sides of the US political spectrum have issued statements after Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in the upcoming presidential elections.

In a statement released Friday, The National Jewish Democratic Council called McCain's judgment in choosing Palin "lacking," and commented that she had "never spoken publicly about Israel."

The statement also claimed the Alaska governor was "totally out of step with Jewish public opinion" on the abortion issue.

[color="Red"]Also questioning McCain's choice, Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida brought up Palin's association with controversial former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, according to well-known American blogger Ben Smith on his blog, Politico.

Smith quoted Wexler as calling McCain's choice "a direct affront to all Jewish Americans." Pat Buchanan, according to Wexler is "a Nazi sympathizer with a uniquely atrocious record on Israel, even going as far as to denounce bringing former Nazi soldiers to justice and praising Adolf Hitler for his 'great courage.'"

Palin had responded to Wexler's comments in a letter to the editor, also quoted in Smith's blog, where she had insisted that she had not endorsed Buchanan, but merely welcomed him to the city of Wasilla, where she was mayor at the time.

In contrast, the Republican Jewish Coalition said that McCain had shown "good judgment and a commitment to challenging politic-as-usual" in his decision. A statement, also released Friday, went on to praise Palin's work with Alaska's Jewish community.

Backing up these sentiments, Smith quoted Jewish Alaska businessman Terry Gorlick as saying that Palin was "absolutely a friend of the Jewish community in Alaska."