U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) came out swinging yesterday against presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, saying the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate revealed the Arizona Senator as  a "calculating" "erratic" politician.

He also compared Palin, a 44 year-old who first won a statewide office in 2006, as "Cheney-esque."

"We've been warning against the third term of [President] George Bush, with the choice of Gov. Palin, it's now the third term of Bush-Cheney," he told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's 'This Week.'

Kerry listed Palin's rejection of climate change being man-made, lack of foreign policy experience and unreadiness to lead as reasons she compares with two-term Vice President Dick Cheney, who is also a former White House chief of staff, secretary of defense and member of Congress.

When faced with U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham's contention that Palin is more experienced than Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Kerry rejected it immediately.

"That's just ridiculous on its face." he replied. "Barack Obama has been in the United State Senate, he's not been absent more than he's been there. She's been a governor for what - two years, now; Barack Obama into four years."

Kerry believes Obama's overseas trip earlier this summer to the Middle East and Europe shows his readiness to lead.

"it is remarkable to me that the Republicans try to denigrate a trip that a candidate for president takes where he attracts more attention, more support, if you will, than a sitting president of the United States of America."

Kerry also took strong exception to Graham's criticism of Obama's judgment on Iraq, saying the South Carolina Republican "just didn't tell you the truth," and that McCain faltered in his judgment by supporting the invasion.

"The United States of America that the president is supposed to protect is weaker today in the region and in the world." he said. "The Republicans are trying to hide the fact that they have failed on their watch to make America safer."

On the idea that Palin could win over Hillary Clinton's primary backers, Kerry said he has "much more respect for the Clinton supporters than that sort of quick blush take."

"I mean, how stupid do they think the Clinton supporters are for heaven's sake?" He continued, "They supported Hillary for all the things she's fought for" -- not solely because of her gender.

All in all, Kerry feels the selection of Palin is a very revealing choice.

"John McCain wanted to choose Tom Ridge. He wanted to choose Joe Lieberman. But you know what? Rush Limbaugh and the right wing vetoed it."

Kerry contends that the Arizona Senator was forced to pick "a Cheney-esque social conservative" because he is a "prisoner of the right wing, not a maverick" -- perhaps an unfortunate selection of words, considering McCain's five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.