First lady Laura Bush said Monday morning she is confident Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will be able to handle a military or foreign policy crisis similar to what her husband faced early in his first term should Palin assume the vice presidency in January and later be called on to take over for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

“I think she will be ready,” Bush told reporters after speaking to a breakfast gathering of the Texas delegates to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. “I think she is a very, very quick learner. I think when you have run a city like she has, when you’ve run a state like she has, you have executive experience, and I think she will be ready right away.”

The first lady was asked specifically if she believed Palin is prepared to deal with a national security situation similar to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that President Bush was forced to respond to a little more than seven months after he took office.

The president’s wife told delegates she is “proud” that she will finally be able to vote for a Republican woman at the top of the ticket, and she told reporters afterward that Palin’s executive experience as a mayor and governor makes her particularly qualified to serve as vice president. Bush also indicated that McCain would serve as the perfect tutor for Palin on matters of foreign policy and national defense.

“Obviously, she’s running with someone who’s very, very experienced in foreign policy issues and who’s devoted a lot of his Senate career paying attention to foreign policy issues, and so I think they make a very good pair,” Bush said. “And believe me, she’ll get up to speed right away.”

Bush made her comments before the revelation later Monday morning that Palin’s teenage daughter was pregnant.