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Kay Bailey Hutchison

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison contrasted the full-throated defense of Sarah Palin by some in her party and lowered the bar Wednesday by offering her own statesman-like, cautious praise for the vice presidential nominee.

Asked if Ms. Palin is ready to be vice president, Ms. Hutchison said that "she offers a lot to the ticket. We'll see in the coming weeks how she does, where she goes. And I think she's going to do fine."

The state's senior senator spoke to reporters before Ms. Palin's much anticipated speech to the Republican convention.

In a week in which news of Ms. Palin's pregnant teenager and other issues has blown the convention off course as much as the winds of Gustav, the program Wednesday was seen as the opportunity to regain the momentum.

Ms. Hutchison had also been scheduled to speak Wednesday night, but a shuffling of the scheduled caused her speech on energy needs of the nation to be dropped from the program, her spokesman said.

"Sen. Hutchison offered to give up her speaking slot if need be," said the spokesman, Matt Mackowiak. "We understand that the program is in flux. Senator Hutchison will proceed with a rehearsal from the podium because the program has not been finalized."

But she was one of the party's designated messengers, appearing on news programs, speaking to the Texas delegation and touting the Republican brand.

Ms. Hutchison said that Ms. Palin brings vitality to the ticket and a Washington outsider's ability to shake things up – but that she will have a lot to learn.

"There's no question that she's young, a new governor. And does she have the same experience as John McCain or Joe Biden? No," Ms. Hutchison said.

"She's got a lot of promise, and I think John McCain decided to have a maverick by his side because he doesn't like the way business is done in Washington," she said.

Ms. Hutchison said there several calculations probably went into Ms. Palin's selection, including trying to attract disaffected Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters.

"Once Hillary was not on the ticket, there was going to be a historic opportunity for Republicans to put a woman on the ticket," she said. "You have the reformist; you have the youth; you have the opportunity to shake things up; you have a woman."

Ms. Hutchison was also reportedly a consideration for the ticket, but she repeated that her aspiration is to return to Texas, where she is evaluating a run for governor in 2010.

"It would be my hope that is the direction I'm able to go," she said, adding that she wouldn't make a decision until later. "But clearly I would like to have my life in Texas, and help Texas in Texas, rather than helping Texas in Washington."

Staff writer Todd J. Gillman in Minneapolis contributed to this report.