Andrew Langer is applauding U.S. Sen. John McCain’s choice of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) as his running mate, calling her a champion of small business.

“John McCain needed an outside-the-box choice to really up the ante in this presidential campaign season. Sarah Palin is that, and more,” Langer said in a statement.

The president of the Institute for Liberty, a conservative small business advocacy group, Langer also serves as the Maryland for McCain campaign’s Eastern Shore coordinator.

Langer touted Palin’s record on small business, before criticizing the opposition for making empty promises and having an insufficient record.

“She’s got an exceptional record of support for small business, and has worked hard to shake up the corrupt elements preying on Alaska’s state government,” said Langer. “When it comes to making choices this fall, the American people are going to be looking at what the candidates have actually done in their public service careers, not the empty rhetoric of campaign promises.”