Gov. Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin probably is facing a bit of sexism in media coverage, particularly as it relates to her family.
But Napolitano, a Democrat, said that's no reason to vote for her and Sen. John McCain, who is at the top of the ticket.
Napolitano said her Alaska counterpart is "very much from the far right of the Republican Party."
Napolitano, in her first news conference since returning from the Democratic National Convention, noted the attention being paid to Palin's family life, particularly the fuss over her pregnant 17-year-old daughter. She said there's really nothing new about that.
"There's a line that (former Texas Gov.) Ann Richards used to use about running for public office," Napolitano said.
"If you're a woman, this is what happens: If you're not married, you couldn't get a man. If you're married, you're ignoring your man. If you're divorced, you couldn't keep your man. And if you're widowed, you killed your man," Napolitano said. "So that when a woman runs, there does tend to be a different emphasis with the coverage."
