Ridge: Obama inexperienced, untested

Tom Ridge argued that Barack Obama is untested and inexperienced.

Speaking to reporters before a rally for John McCain in Fayetteville, the former head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that Obama does not have insight into foreign policy because he's not had any relevant military or political experience.

He said that McCain "knows the consequences of war in ... a personal way" and "understands when anybody at Fort Bragg puts on a uniform, the whole family puts on a uniform." 

Ridge said he was surprised that former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Obama.

"It seemed to me that he was more unhappy with the Republican Party than with John McCain, which is an interesting reason to go the other way," Ridge said. "I think he's wrong on this one."

The former Pennsylvania governor has traveled with McCain there and is campaigning with him today. The two are old friends from the Congressional class of '82, the only Vietnam veterans elected that year.

Some political observers have suggested that McCain is campaigning alongside old friends this week to keep his spirits up in the face of troubling polling numbers.

"Whatever John needs me to do to help get him elected president, I'm prepared to do," Ridge said.