UPDATED: Reichert reacts to Palin choice, Burner resonds

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert8th District Congressman Dave Reichert (R-Auburn) applauded the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to John McCain's ticket this morning, calling the move a great example for young people and praising her leadership in politics.

"When elected to Congress, I appointed the first female sheriff to succeed me in the King County Sheriff's office," Reichert said. "So today I'm very pleased and encouraged to see the first female GOP candidate for vice president. This sets exactly the right example for our young women, who we must continually empower and encourage to pursue positions of leadership both professionally and politically.

"Ms. Palin has demonstrated the ability to succeed both as a working mother of five children as well as a leader of the state of Alaska. She clearly understands the importance of working in a bipartisan fashion, and has reached across the aisle to work with Democrats and Republicans alike. I wish her all the best."

Reichert himself has a history of appointing women to leadership roles from his days as the King County Sheriff. He selected the first ever female sheriff on the King County Sheriff's Office and appointed an unprecedented all-female command staff, as well.

UPDATE: Reichert's Democratic opponent's campaign responded to the congressman's statement on Friday. 

"We could not agree more with Congressman Reichert that we need more women in office - starting with tech-savvy former Microsoft manager Darcy Burner representing Washington State's 8th Congressional District," said Sandeep Kaushik, spokesperson for the Darcy Burner campaign. "If Congressman Reichert believes a D.C. outsider like Sarah Palin is qualified to be president, then he must know that Darcy Burner, who has already influenced national policy on Iraq, is more than qualified to serve in Congress."