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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) congratulated Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and John McCain on the selection of Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. In a statement, Clinton referenced the policy disagreements she had with the GOP ticket, but also alluded to the historic nature of Palin's veep bid. Palin will become the first female member of a Republican ticket next week at the GOP convention.

Here's Clinton's statement:

"We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Senator McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate."

James Dobson, the influential leader of the religious right, has yet to become a full-throated supporter of John McCain's presidential bid. But in a sign that the Republican presidential candidate is shoring up his conservative base, the Focus on the Family founder issued a resounding endorsement of McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Here's Dobson's full statement.

"Sen. McCain

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) is looking at a run for California governor in 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

"I can't say that since this [convention] started I haven't thought about it, because I have," Feinstein told the newspaper. "I want to see how close to 60 votes we can get in the Senate, what the committee structure is, and how best I can use my time."

Feinstein, 75, is the chairwoman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.

She suggested that she could wait to decide on the race, unlike other possible candidates, such as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D), who have less experience.

"I have run statewide four times now," she said. "I have a base. It's up and down the state. The state is so big. I think candidates misjudge California. They think they can get in a bus and go around and see enough people. You can't. You need to be known. You need to raise the money. You need to have a combination of campaign organization, support and programs."

She added: "This isn't 2010. I don't need to build an organization to run. I don't need to do an exploratory committee to run. That is all out there if I want to do it. Therefore, at the appropriate time, I will make a decision."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, saying that it raises questions about his judgment.

Here's her statement:

"The selection of a vice presidential candidate is one of the most significant and telling decisions a presidential candidate can make. John McCain

President Bush praised John McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Here's his statement:

"Today, Senator McCain made an exciting decision in choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to join him on his ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate. Governor Palin is a proven reformer who is a wise steward of taxpayer dollars and champion for accountability in government. Governor Palin

MoveOn.org's executive director Eli Pariser is questioning whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republicans' new veep candidate, would be up to the job of being president.

Here's Pariser's tough statement:

"On his 72nd birthday, Senator McCain has chosen a VP based on her political currency rather than her ability to lead our country in a crisis. If John McCain wins in November, he'll be the oldest president in US history, and Sarah Palin would be a heartbeat away from being our Commander in Chief. It's not only fair, but critical in this case, to ask if she's up for the job of Commander in Chief. We just can't afford a gamble like this with our future."

Barack Obama's lead over John McCain has jumped to 8 percent after running essentially tied with the Arizona senator heading into the Democratic convention, according to the latest Gallup daily tracking poll.

Barack Obama and running mate Joseph Biden just release a statement on Palin:

We send our congratulations to Governor Sarah Palin and her family on her designation as the Republican nominee for Vice President. It is yet another encouraging sign that old barriers are falling in our politics. While we obviously have differences over how best to lead this country forward, Governor Palin is an admirable person and will add a compelling new voice to this campaign.

Democrats jumped at the opportunity to frame Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) as inexperienced and unqualified minutes after John McCain announced the Alaska Republican will be his running mate.

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency," Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.

"Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) also issued a statement attacking Palin's inexperience, calling the pick "troubling."

"Certainly the choice of Palin puts to rest any argument about inexperience on the Democratic team and while Palin is a fine person, her lack of experience makes the thought of her assuming the presidency troubling," Schumer said.

Schumer added, "I particularly look forward to the Biden-Palin debate in Missouri."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) said the pick shows "panic" on the McCain campaign's part, as well as a lack of "judgment."

"Is this really who the Republican Party wants to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency?" Emanuel said in a statement. "Given Sarah Palin's lack of experience on every front and on nearly every issue, this Vice Presidential pick doesn't show judgment: it shows political panic."

In announcing the pick the McCain campaign hailed Palin's record as a reformer, but did not call attention to her recent term as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population of less than 10,000) saying only that she "is ready to be president."

Howard Wolfson, the spokesman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) failed presidential bid, suggested that John McCain's veep pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) could reopen old wounds.

"If the pick is indeed Sarah Palin you are going to have a lot of women voters wondering why Senator Obama didn't tap Senator Clinton as his running mate," Wolfson wrote on The Plank.

Wolfson had earlier argued on The New Republic's blog that a woman veep selection would reestablish McCain's reputation as a maverick. Wolfson, however, had another name, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, in mind.