Palin Coverage Not Sexist, Former McCain VP Hopeful Says

Just hours after aides to John McCain accused the media and Sen. Barack Obama of engaging in sexist and chauvinist treatment of Sarah Palin, another prominent member of McCain's team said the coverage has been neither sexist nor driven by Obama.

Former Rep. Rob Portman, an adviser to the Arizona Republican, argued in a brief interview with the Huffington Post that while the coverage of Palin's family travails has on occasion been out of bounds, there was no inherent gender bias to it. Moreover, Portman lauded the Obama campaign for condemning the personalized scrutiny of the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee.

"I don't know if [the coverage] would be any worse for her than it would be someone else... Over the line is over the line and both Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden have made statements this week saying that it is over the line, saying that children of candidates really ought to be outside the political fray," said Portman, a former Bush administration official and a one-time potential McCain VP himself. "I think it is absolutely fair to look at someone's record... And it is appropriate for the media to look at that because, in a sense, the media keeps us all honest about what our positions are and if we are consistent. Where it goes over the line is when it becomes about the private life of the family. And to the extent that that does not affect public policy decisions, which in the case of the discussion this week about Gov. Palin's family it does not, I do think it is over the line."

Following days of withering scrutiny of Palin's personal and political record, McCain's campaign has pushed back by accusing the fourth estate of orchestrating an "outrageous smear campaign" to derail her candidacy. Much of it, they have added, was driven by a gender bias. Some, they insinuated, came from the Obama campaign.

"The Republican Party will not stand by while Sarah Palin is subjected to sexist attacks," said aide Carly Fiorina.

Earlier, Fiorina claimed to be "appalled by the Obama campaign's attempts to belittle Governor Sarah Palin's experience." American women, she added, "are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin."

Also on Wednesday, McCain's national campaign co-chair and former CEO of e-Bay, Meg Whitman told Fox News that the media vetting of Palin had been "completely fair," and refuted the idea that there had been "sexism" in the coverage.

"I actually think it's completely fair for the media to vet Sarah Palin," Whitman said. It is, she added, "the right thing to do" for the media to dig into the background of someone who is "running for the highest office in the land."

Asked if, in the wake of the countless stories and inquiries into Palin's position and life, he felt a sense of relief over not having been tapped as McCain's VP, Portman jokingly replied in the affirmative. The frenzy, he added, "is kind of what I expected."

Comments

[Marcee]

McCain is a bully, and he better get off this "the press is mean to Sarah routine." Either she is a tough woman ready to be commander and chief and can take some serious vetting or not. She looked pretty tough tonight so I don't think the Dems need to worry too much about leveling a punch here and there against her. Nobody knows this woman. Is it sexist to ask a few questions. The minute you ask about her reversal on the bridge to nowhere or troopergate. it's suddenly sexist but then, again, if you ask McCain about flipping on Bush tax cuts or drilling for oil, your questioning a fragile POW.

[honeydiva]

well it's working and the press is so one the team this morning.

[isis]

I don't see the sexism in looking into her record. Obama got criticized for going to somebody's house once and for a sermon he did not even listen to. Saying that she can't be VP because she is a mom is sexist but is it liberals who are saying that?

[pupbayer]

LOL!!! Shows what Portman knows. He wouldn't know sexism if it slapped him in the face.

[indypete]

And you wouldn't know truth if it slapped you in the face.

[XME]

Choosing this guy would have been better judgement!

[jamaica4obama]

Phew.. One sensible and rational republican in the flock..His statement gives hope that there may yet be hope for the republican in the next 12 years

[heal57]

There's little hope; he's only one.

[SocialistDistortion]

Looks like the last trump card the Republicans had left...just got called for what it is...a total BLUFF. This is classic Rovian strategy at its best (or worst): Trot out a female as your VP, try to claim that your party did what the dems could not (nominate a woman for the 2nd highest office), and don't worry about her credentials, because if she gets called out on it, just cry "sexism". Thankfully, there is still a little bit of sanity left in the Republican party willing to see this for what it is - a GIMMICK, and nothing more.

The John McCain of 2000 wouldn't have even joked about associating himself with a far-right fringe panderer like Palin. Any credibility he had left just got flushed right down the toilet. He is nothing more than shadow of his former self.

How sad...

[oscartucker]

Portman has some sense and morals; thus, he could not be chosen to run as veep. In the long run, Portman will be very happy that he did not join this clown.

[FloridaShutterBug]

Thank you, Rob Portman.

John McCain knows full well that the country knows virtually nothing about his VP pick and he's desperate to keep it that way. All he wants us to know is that, 1. she's female - hoping to pick up votes from Hillary supporters, and 2. she's the perfect candidate for evangelicals and ultra-cons­ervatives. I can't imagine anyone being naive enough to believe the media will just let it ride when it's their JOB to find out these things. It should have been his, but he didn't bother.

Carly Fiorina, the reason HP almost went under, is, as usual blowing smoke. She has a talent for that.

[bpowell1]

Just like a person can't win the white house with just the african-american vote neither can a person with the ultra conservative and Evangelical vote. For one they are the same thing. They are not big enough to swing an election. The sad part is if he hadn't thought that women were stupid and would just vote for him because he picked a woman he probably would have gotten a lot of the female vote. But John McCain can only be phony for so long before the real him shows up. And he is here baby front and center and people had better think long and hard about if they want this nut to be the next President. Rather you vote for Obama or not this guy should not be there. They have put he and his pick in hiding.

[wak84]

They're just playing to the disgruntled Hillary supporters trying to get them onboard with the sexism cry because they are so desperate to win and know how McCain's VP choice has hurt them. Hopefully those smart women will not be so easily manipulated. I say this as one smart woman to all the others out there. Just as African-Americans in Illinois were not fooled by the GOPs attempt to place Alan Keyes as a viable alternative to Barack Obama, Hillary supporters will not be fooled.

[dzent1]

Not hard to figure out why the media is vetting Palin and her family, and it's about time the media did its job as investigative reporters and laid off the country-club chit-chat and non-issue stories about Britney. Somebody tell me we weren't screwed by not knowing more about Bush and Cheney. The country and the world is in a hell of a mess because of that.
Palin is a nobody and knows nothing without input from "advisors", so what the h-e-double­hockeystic­ks do we need her for? I can't believe the Republicans would care so little about the people they would supposedly serve to slap them in the face with this pitiful excuse for a candidate. My kid's futures are at stake, and I'm voting Democrat this time without a doubt.
Ask Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy what they REALLY think...

[dcboomer]

She is no Hilary Clinton, no Amelia Earhart, no Annie Oakley, no ‘reformer’. She is an opportunist. This is not about sexism. Clearly Governor Palin is not a good Vice President Candidate whether she was a male or female and it has nothing to do with her being a mom with a family but everything to do with her judgment, core values and value system, and experience.

Sarah Palin is exactly what America, and women as a class, does not need: Another ill-equipped, unqualified public servant who wants to negate everything American women have fought for all these years.

[pattio66]

Standing OVATION!! Thank you, dcboomer, you said it all!

[lennix]

man this is the worst race i have see in my life and the hate not from the people but the msm and the nuts on cable thi is a sad day and the real sad part is that the old news men like tom brokaw play right in the middle of tghis mess tim is turning in his grave

[sheikwil]

Every time I hear the media say that Binden has to be careful how he goes after Palin in the debates, it just prove more and more to me that she is not ready, because if this barbie doll wanna be can't even handled Joe Biden, how is she going to handle Putin and other leaders around the world that are out to destroy the U.S., so if she can't stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen. They are the ones talking about this gun carry, moose eating, tough, took on her own party women, then use her position to try and get her ex brother in law fired when it was a personal matter between her sister and her husband. She should have let their divorce play out in the courts. This women is not qualifed.

[grata2ude]

No one was treated more unfairly by the press than Hilary. And Palin doesn't have half the know how and smarts as Hilary. The press will skewer this choice and they should.

[grata2ude]

I heard this guy talk before and he's a Rep I would vote for. Rove hasn't bought his soul yet.