AmericaBlog/NYT: Blockbuster NY Times piece on the Sarah Palin vetting disaster

[BigBearJohn]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ref=politics&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

The comedy of errors that is John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin continues. Except, when the issue is picking a potential leader of our nation in a time of war, it shouldn't be a comedy and it shouldn't be filled with errors.

Read this blockbuster article in tomorrow's New York Times. There is so much in it. The article reveals that John McCain didn't get the vice president he wanted (Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge) because the religious right, which controls the GOP (and now controls John McCain), went ballistic on McCain last week because both Lieberman and Ridge are pro-choice. So McCain caved. Because of McCain's kowtowing to the theocrats, he hurriedly dumped Lieberman and Ridge and instead picked the very anti-abortion, but not much else, Palin without even fully vetting her.

Now, sure, the McCain campaign is claiming that Palin was "thoroughly vetted." But, that is clearly not true - the Times talked to all the key players in Alaska, and none of them were approached by the McCain campaign. In fact, McCain's vetter only just arrived in Alaska on Thursday, the day before McCain announced Palin as his VP choice.

This failure is actually quite stunning on many levels. It's just so fundamental to the process, the vetting of a vice presidential choice, that failing to do it properly is pretty much campaign malpractice. Clearly, Sarah Palin was not seriously vetted. An excerpt from the Times:

[Jennicut]

1. Disastrous! My God, WHAT was McGrumpster thinking?!?!?

He picked this no name wacko bitch (for exposing her daughter to this media fire-storm) who's only claim to fame is 1 1/2 years as the Governor of one of the smallest populations in the United States, Alaska. He is screwed.

[americanstranger]

2. Not even a background check with the FBI.

The Washington Post quoted advisers to Mr. McCain on Sunday as saying Ms. Palin had been subjected to an F.B.I. background check, an F.B.I. official said Monday the bureau did not vet potential candidates and had not known of her selection until it was made public.

Unbelievable.

McCain's approval ratings are about to crater, big-time. No amount of spin will make this right.

- as