On Palin Press Conference, CNN Makes Much of Very Little

CNN.com posted a very cloak-and-daggery story today about the Republican Governor's Association press conference helmed by Governor Sarah Palin. Originally Gov. Palin was to handle the press conference alone, then it had been "decided"---says a typically unnamed source---that the other governors attending the meeting would stand behind her silently. The reason this change was made? It's a "long story", quothe the anonymous source, and though Palin was scheduled to take questions for about 20 minutes, Gov. Rick Perry cut it off after four questions. Why? "We were running behind schedule," a GOP official insisted (italics mine).

Boy, these unnamed GOP sources sure have a lot to say about Sarah Palin, don't they? Who are these folks who have so little qualms about casting aspersions on the losing VP candidate? Making vague implications of behind-the-scenes awkwardness and diva-like behavior? Do you think maybe this sort of internal strife had some impact on the success of the McCain campaign?

Not that I'm ready to totally let Sarah Palin off the hook. The theme of the press conference was that the Presidential race is over, that the RGA is looking to the future, and they don't subscribe to "extreme partisan" behavior. That's hard to jive with Palin persisting on the William Ayers topic with Larry King amongst others, just this week, which is in its turn hard to jive with Palin saying she'd be honored to work with Obama. But---and this is a shocker---I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe her qualms about Ayers really do persist, and are, in her view at least, germane. And maybe despite them, she really is willing to work with Barack Obama and support his Presidency.

Let's hope the media can resist the salacious spell of these unnamed "sources" in the GOP who seem so willing to undermine her.

Update:

It looks like some of Sarah Palin's own fellow Republican governors are jumping on the "anonymously dish about Sarah" bandwagon. According to "some" of the GOP governors, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, it was awkward: "I'm sure you could see it on some of our faces". Another one of the govs said that it, "unfortunately sent a message that she was the de facto leader of the party".

Let me tell you who's not going to be the leader of the Republican party, de facto or otherwise...any of these wimps who dish about each other anonymously to CNN. I mean, only so many GOP governors appeared at this press conference. How anonymous do you think can you be? If any of these people consider themselves to be a leader, where were their voices when it was proposed that Palin do all the talking? If you're going to lead, lead. Or keep your anonymous mouth shut.