election hangover

Attacks Heighten on Sarah Palin From Inside McCain Campaign

This picture, it turns out, isn’t even real. It’s a composite.

Yesterday Newsweek told us that Sarah Palin and John McCain barely spoke to one another throughout the end of their failed run for the White House. Today, even more vitriol has leaked out from the McCain campaign toward the woman many regard as the downfall of the ticket. Someone from the Arizona senator’s camp told Fox News that Palin didn’t know that Africa was a continent and couldn’t name the member countries of NAFTA (this may not be true, but it’s certainly evidence of a lot of pent-up rage). The Times spoke to several top advisers who painted an ugly picture of mistrust and rebellion on the trail.

• Just hours before John McCain’s concession speech, Sarah Palin was still pushing to speak on the Phoenix stage. “But Ms. Palin met up with Mr. McCain with text in hand. She was told no by Mark Salter, one of Mr. McCain’s closest advisers, and Steve Schmidt, Mr. McCain’s top strategist.”

• As also reported by Newsweek yesterday, the whole mess surrounding Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe was more her fault than the RNC’s. She was told by McCain aide Nicolle Wallace to buy four to six new suits and spend about $20,000. Campaign staff was shocked to receive the astronomical bills, and are considering an audit of Palin’s home closets now.

• Some McCain advisers accuse Palin puppeteer Randy Scheunemann of leaking negative stories about the presidential candidate. They even said he was fired for feeding “a constant stream of poison” to Times columnist William Kristol. This seems maybe a little dubious, as the paper was able to reach Scheunemann at his desk in the campaign office yesterday.


Palin Didn’t Know Continents vs. Countries: McCain Leak [Gawker]
Internal Battles Divided McCain and Palin Camps [NYT]
Earlier: ‘Newsweek’: Sarah Palin ‘Sailed Into the Room Wearing Nothing But a Towel’
McCain Campaign Soaked by Stories of Palin Strife

Attacks Heighten on Sarah Palin From Inside McCain Campaign