St Paul, Minnesota/Washington - Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday defended John McCain's pick of little-known Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, arguing that she brought "balance" to the Republican ticket and was ready to lead the country if called upon.

Giuliani, himself once considered a frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination, told broadcaster CNN that Palin brings domestic policy expertise that would complement McCain's long military and foreign policy credentials.

"You've got to balance the ticket," Giuliani said, comparing the choice to Democratic rival Barack Obama's pick of Joe Biden, a leading voice on foreign issues, as his running mate.

Palin, 44, was picked by McCain on Friday and is only the second woman in US history to be tapped as a vice presidential candidate. She has served as Alaska's governor for less than 2 years and her lack of foreign policy experience has prompted questions over whether she can take over if necessary as commander in chief.

Giuliani acknowledged Palin's limited political history but said the same was true of Obama, who was only elected to the Senate in 2004. Palin has also made executive decisions as a state governor, unlike Obama, he said.

"She'll be ready," said Giuliani, who will address the convention as the keynote speaker on Wednesday, the same night Palin accepts the nomination. "Barack Obama is not ready."

Giuliani described Palin as "someone that can learn, that can develop, that already has accomplished a lot," and argued that McCain's presidency would give her time to work her way into the job.

"We have the ticket in the right order," he said. "We've got the most experienced candidate on the top." (dpa)