The Rhode Island GOP has named an almost-House candidate as the volunteer coordinator for the McCain for President effort in Rhode Island.

The party's new executive director, Marc Pappas, confirmed today that state Republican chairman Giovanni Cicione tapped Eileen Grossman of Cranston for the job. For now, that means Grossman is working with other volunteers making phone calls on McCain's behalf here in Rhode Island.

A sales and marketing employee in Wyndham Worldwide's vacation-ownership division, Grossman was a declared Republican candidate for the House 16 seat held by Rep. Peter G. Palumbo, D-Cranston. She collected the requisite number of signatures required on nominating papers to run, and then withdrew from the race when she got what she considered a much better offer from Cicione a few weeks back.

Given the choice of volunteering her time to the McCain campaign and running for the state legislature, she said: "Oh my God. That's what I want. I want to get John McCain elected. That's a higher calling for me.''

"I trust john McCain in time of terror,'' she explained in an interview today. "And let's face it, George Bush has not done that bad. We have not been attacked.since 2001. He has kept us safe and John McCain will do the same thing.''

Asked whether she viewed disclosures about the pregnancy of vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin's unmarried teenage daughter as good or bad for the campaign, Grossman said: "I think it's wonderful for the campaign because I believe no wives or children are fair game.''

Noting that Palin married her "high school sweetheart,'' Grossman said: "You are in Anchorage, Alaska. Who are you going to meet, you know? I mean it seems that Alaskans marry very young ... and I believe she [daughter Bristol] is engaged to the chap,'' so "I don't think it will hurt us at all.''

Impressed by what she has read so far about Alaska Gov. Palin, Grossman said: "She's got executive experience. I don't care if it's only a year and a half. She's got more executive exprience than 'NoBama' or Biden for that matter,'' she said of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, and his running mate, Senate Foreign Relations chairman Joe Biden of Delaware.