John McCain's surprise choice of British comedian Michael Palin for his running mate stirred controversy among Democrats and Republicans.

"It doesn't make sense," said one GOP strategist. "John Cleese or Eric Idle would have had better name recognition. Plus, Democrats will trot out all those old Python sketches of Palin dressed in drag. That'll kill him with Christian voters."

But McCain advisers say Palin's role as a stutterer in "A Fish Called Wanda" would counteract Joe Biden's heart-tugging story of his own youthful stuttering problem. And Palin's lumberjack song could appeal to working-class voters.

Palin said he was shocked by the harsh criticism. "I didn't expect this kind of Spanish Inquisition," he told the BBC.