Missouri (United States), Oct. 21: Republican presidential candidate John McCain has defended his running mate -- Alaska Governor Sarah Palin against attacks from the "feminist left." at a rally in the northern suburb of St. Louis, where Obama drew 100,000 on Saturday.

"My friends, it''s remarkable the comments of the feminist left about Sarah Palin. I want to tell you, I am so proud of the way she has energized America. She is a reformer, she is a great leader, she is the most popular governor in America, and I can hardly wait to introduce her to Washington, D. C," CBS quoted McCain as telling a crowd of about 2000 people.

McCain''s selection of Palin has been criticized by his fellow Republican Colin Powell.

However, that did not stop McCain from keeping his focus on economic issues.

"We can''t spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change," McCain said, adding, "We have to act immediately. And as I said it at the last debate: I''m not George Bush; if Senator Obama wanted to run against George Bush, he should have run for president four years ago. We need a new direction now. And we have to fight for it."

"If I''m elected president, I won''t spend nearly a trillion dollars more of your money (on new programs). Senator Obama will. And he can''t do that without raising your taxes or digging us further into debt. I''m going to make government live on a budget, just like you do," McCain said.

It may be recalled that George Bush captured Missouri in 2000 and 2004, winning 53 percent statewide against Democrat John Kerry.

This year the polls show a very close race in Missouri, which has voted for the presidential winner every year since 1900 but one, Adlai Stevenson in 1956.

McCain, who has argued Obama lacks experience, said, "We don''t want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars." (ANI)