"Stop blogging! Stop blogging right now!"

Can you imagine the hell that would rain down if a top aide to Gov. Perdue picked up the phone and called, say, Erick Erickson, and said, "You should be ashamed. Stop blogging. Stop blogging right now!" Yet, that's exactly the call an Alaskan blogger got from an aide to Sarah Palin, and it's far from the scariest thing the New York Times reports in "Once Elected, Palin Hired Friends, Lashed Foes." If you can stand to read one more thing about Palin, believe me, this is that article. (H/T to Jodi)

Whether she was handing out political appointments like candy to high school friends-including the top agriculture spot to a women who actually listed her childhood love of cows as a qualification-or creating a culture of secrecy in the Governor's office, Palin's reign in Alaska looks a whole lot like the Bush White House. If you've like that, you're going to love Palin. Of all the questionable things the Times uncovers, the worst by far is this simple statement at the beginning of the article:

Ms. Palin declined to grant an interview for this article. The McCain-Palin campaign responded to some questions on her behalf and that of her husband, while referring others to the governor’s spokespeople, who did not respond.

It is NOT FINE for John McCain to continue to hide his vice presidential nominee from the American people by picking and choosing just who gets to lift one or two of her many, many veils. McCain is getting a virtually unfathomable pass on his strategy of hiding and scripting Sarah Palin. If any of the other three candidates-Obama, McCain or Biden-were ducking press interviews, they would be absolutely skewered, and rightly so. Why? Because us everyday Americans won't have the chance to sit down and chat with Gov. Palin. We rely on journalists, imperfect though they are, to ask the tough questions of those who would be leaders in this toughest of times. It is both outrageous and inexcusable that John McCain is unwilling to find out-and unwilling for us to know-exactly who this women is once the curtain drops and there is no script. Veils off, Sen. McCain. It's time for Sarah Palin to put on her big girl pants and face the American people.

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It's NOT Demeaning to Women

In his choice for VP, was John McCain first and foremost concerned with whether the person was capable of being President of the United States? Or was he concerned about whether the person could bring him the electoral votes of rural, conservative, female voters in swing states? Just three weeks ago, on Face the Nation, Karl Rove was intensely critical of the possibility that Barack Obama might choose Gov. Tim Kaine for his Vice President. Rove said:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years, he's been able but undistinguished," Rove said. "I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America."Rove continued: "So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I'm really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States? What I'm concerned about is, can he bring me the electoral votes of the state of Virginia, the 13 electoral votes in Virginia?'"

Somehow, posing this same question about a women is now out of bounds. Watching Larry King Live tonight, it's clear that the Republican talking point-anytime someone questions whether or not McCain's choice for VP is qualified for the position-is to claim that such scrutiny is "demeaning to women." Why? Because Democrats blanch whenever they're accused of being unfair, and quickly retreat from allegations of sexism. In this instance, we certainly owe it to the electorate to get over ourselves.

Questioning a VP's readiness to serve is a core issue and is most certainly appropriate for men and women. Attacking family is out of bounds; questioning preparedness to be President is not only appropriate, it's the responsibility of the electorate. One in three Vice Presidents have actually become President, so the question is surely relevant.

Fighting for the equal treatment of women, working to help qualified women get elected and helping knock down barriers so that women can participate in professions that were once off-limits is important work that is diminished anytime a women gets a pass because of her gender. Whenever that happens, it reinforces the myth that, in politics or in business, the bar for women is lower and makes it more difficult to construct the ladder women need to get elected. The perception that a women has been added to a ticket for any reason other than being eminently qualified reflects negatively on every women who seeks any office.

Failing to fully vet Sarah Palin-now that's demeaning to women.

Choosing a Vice President is the first act of any presidential candidate that has the potential to actually impact the course of democracy in our country. In his choice of a person who has limited experience in government, zero experience in foreign affairs and a basic lack of understanding of what a VP is actually supposed to do, John McCain has behaved in a reckless manner that ought to give every American pause. Unlike Presidential candidates who must survive a grueling primary process and endless vetting by the public and the press, Vice Presidential candidates get little scrutiny. We rely on our Presidential candidates to do the vetting for us when it comes to the VP nominee. It is the first moment when the future of the county is in the hands of the Presidential hopeful. It is the first moment when we are able to see whether the candidate will actually put country before political interest. And it was in this moment that John McCain failed not just his Party, but his country.

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