Barbour praises Palin as "a bonafide energy expert"

Mississippi governor Haley Barbour says the GOP should use its time time that it is out of power to rebuild and reposition itself to win back the White House in 2012. Barbour was interviewed by FOX News at the summer National Governor's Association meeting, and said that after eight years of hearing from the Bush administration, it was time for people to hear some new Republican voices:

"There are a lot of people in the Republican Party who have a chance to be heard now, and we want to hear from them. When you're the out party you don't have one spokesman."

Barbour, himself a possible 2012 presidential contender, is Chairman of the Republican Governors' Association. He described two of his fellow GOP governors, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, as stars of the party. Barbour also had words of praise for Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, whom he said was still "very popular" with Republicans:

"I just think she's a great person, and she's also a bona fide energy expert," Barbour said, citing her recent op-ed against the Cap and Trade issue. Palin, surprising many, decided to end her term early as governor.

The Mississippi governor declined to say whether he was interested in campaigning for the presidency. He said that the first thing Republicans must do to recapture the White House is to win back gubernatorial seats in the 2010 midterm elections.

- JP