WRAPUP 4-McCain, Palin team up as Hurricane Gustav looms

"Obviously this is a very serious situation," Obama said of Hurricane Gustav, adding he was monitoring events closely.

"The main priority had to be making sure that everything is being done on the ground to prevent a repeat of some of the tragic situations we saw several years ago."

PALIN GENERATES ENTHUSIASM, CRITICISM

McCain and his wife, Cindy, spent time getting to know Palin, her husband, Todd, and their children on Saturday, visiting voters at a diner in Pittsburgh and holding a rally in the town of Washington with a crowd estimated at some 10,000.

Palin, the first woman to be nominated as vice president on a Republican ticket, drew boos from an otherwise enthusiastic crowd when she referred to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's failed bid for the Democratic nomination.

The Arizona senator announced his vice presidential choice on Friday after hosting Palin at his Arizona home on Thursday. It was only the second time the two had met in person.

Obama's running mate is Delaware Sen. Joe Biden.

Palin's conservative credentials, including strong anti-abortion views and a record of confronting entrenched interests during less than two years as governor of Alaska, energized conservatives, who poured money into the campaign.

The campaign raised nearly $7 million on Friday alone, its best single day of fundraising yet, officials said.

Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, praised Palin but ducked questions on whether she was prepared for the job. "I think that Gov. Palin is a compelling person. She's got a great story," he told reporters.

"I think you guys can take a look at Gov. Palin's and Joe Biden's record and make your own judgments in terms of who you think has what it takes to be an outstanding vice president.

Seeking to highlight skepticism of McCain's pick, the Obama campaign sent out an e-mail with dozens of quotes from editorials across the country, including Palin's home state of Alaska, where she is popular, questioning her preparedness.

"Republicans rightfully have criticized the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, for his lack of experience, but Palin is a neophyte in comparison," wrote Alaska's Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

"Governor Palin's lack of experience, especially in national security and foreign affairs, raises immediate questions about how prepared she is to potentially succeed to the presidency," wrote The New York Times.

Frank Donatelli, deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee, dismissed the criticism.

"Senator McCain has not only succeeded in unifying our party, but also in generating great enthusiasm," he said. (Additional reporting by Caren Bohan, Tim Ryan and Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing by Peter Cooney and Sandra Maler)