Kristol Rips McCain Camp, RNC For Handling Of Palin

Bill Kristol, who has been, perhaps, the biggest Sarah Palin partisan of the pundit class, leveled some harsh criticisms at the McCain campaign Sunday for what he deemed to be a mismanagement of the vice presidential rollout, petty infighting, and leaving the Alaska Governor out on a limb after it was revealed the RNC had paid $150,000 in clothing for her.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Kristol said Palin had been "ill served by some of the staff," particularly in light of anonymous aides ripping her as a diva and/or rogue agent in recent news articles.

He chided the RNC for not taking the hit for the clothing that was purchased on Palin's behalf.

"Why wasn't a staffer out there saying, 'you know what, I made the mistake'?" he asked. "Since when do the staffers go into hiding and let Governor Palin be the one who has to explain it? It's a total disgrace the staff has ducked responsibility for this mistake, which was not her mistake. Whatever people's criticisms of Governor Palin, no one thinks she lives high on the hog in Alaska, shopping at Neiman Marcus... I think the staff has ill-served her."

And he bemoaned the McCain campaign's media strategy, which, he claimed, had prevented Palin from taking on more of a profile in the press. Informed by host Chris Wallace that the Alaska Governor would not appear on a Sunday news show before the election, Kristol said the problem was not hers, but rather one of clearance.

"It's McCain's staff which bottle her up for the first part of the campaign," he said. "The staff has not served her well by hiding her and not having confidence."

The latter charge, of course, seems as much an indictment of Palin as of the McCain campaign itself. After all, who, beyond John McCain, has to sign off on Palin going on national television?

Nevertheless, chalk up Kristol's appearance as another conservative pundit entering the circular firing squad that has become the GOP presidential campaign.

Comments

[CalifroniaMark]

As far as I am concerned Palin is just as responsible as anyone else in the McCain Campaign,GOP and RNC. Palin is not a child and was aware of what was going on especially when her 7 y/o daughter show up with a Louie Vuitton bag worth 2,500 or more. You can't be a "Maverick" one minute and a look the other way the next.


OBAMA / BIDEN NOV. 4TH

[NTO08]

How long are you idiots going to be playing this campaign lie?

ALL those items are on loan...I guess some of you have no clue what goes on in the fashion business...I would hate to see what you slobs wear...

[Nancy84]

On loan? I thought they said they would go to charity. How to you give back 22k worth of makeup work? Nice try.

[Yermammy]

Ahh well, mutter and grumble all you want :) After President Obama wins, you will be relegated to obscurity. Receding back into the woodwork like a termite. Man, it's good to live in a Democracy again! Buh Bye Rethuglican'ts! Buh Bye :)

[DCinFrance]

Want to see an idiot? Go to a mirror, and repeat what you just said. On loan indeed. They were paid for...since when do you pay for a loan? But, even if you were right which you are not, on loan for what? To sell the American public a false product?

[djsue]

NTO08,

How are they on loan, when the clothes were paid for? You have no clue as to what goes on in the fashion business. When a designer "loans" a dress, it mean the celebrity has not paid for it.

Get it?

You are so mad. Too bad.

[jukesgrrl]

Bill, on Nov. 5 "anonymous aides" are going to be leaving YOU "out on a limb." You're going down as the man who insisted on Palin over Lieberman.

[goodog]

Perceptive

[FlyingEagel]

I think he is right about the way McCain's people mismanaged her roll out. Thank God. That should tell everyone that he is not " that one" who should be leading our country. If he or the people who make these decisions can't even do this right . . how can we trust them to run America?

[DCinFrance]

Actually, it was not a case of mismanagement. They did what they had to do given what they had to work with.

[goodog]

Bill Kristol and the Weekly Standard were an early target of the Alaska Governor's office public relations campaign to take her brand national.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/27/081027fa_fact_mayer

Kristol is so smitten with Palin because she courted him, long before the McCain campaign even knew she existed.

He's a flattered, a man his age, feels fluffed up in the eyes of a fawning woman who wants something from him... in this case a photo and a line or two of national recognition in his magazine.

Hear the distress in his voice. That's the sound of a political pornographer losing control of his investment.

[MrBlu]

Does that mean the clothes looked cheap or what? Palin couldn't tell she was wearing a $2,500 jacket? I thought women had better fashion sense to know they're wearing some pretty high class gear.

Now she's going around talking about all the stuff she wears that's cheap like the $35 ring Todd bought her that she still wears with pride. How sweet but that doesn't make up for the fact that you were living off the GOP tight for a few weeks.

[NTO08]

Clothes on loan...how many times does it need to be drummed into the minds of you clowns???

[GingerB]

They weren't on loan. They were purchased for Palin, her family, and Levi, the guy banging her teenage daughter.

[Yermammy]

We're the clowns? What's a bitter repug doing on this Liberal Progressive Blog anyway??

[DCinFrance]

The old repeat a lie long enough and loud enough until they believe it, heh? Not this time. The clothes were paid for. Try again.

[djsue]

NTOo8,

It is not us that has been hoodwinked, bedazzled and bewildered, yet you call us clowns.

You have completely lost control. Is it really McCain under your makeup?

[TrueThis]

So I guess McCain staffers bought Piper that Louis Vuitoon too? Please...... Palin is still part of the McCain campaign so she too need to be blamed. FoxNews need to take a cold shower.

[thirteen13]

So, Palin didn't visit the stores and sample the wardrobe?

There were no price tags on the wardrobe?

[RumiSouth]

In the high-end shops, there are no price tags. Anyone who'd check a price tag isn't rich enough to afford their clothes. And no, that's not a joke -- it's standard practice in French haute couture.

[NTO08]

Of course there aren't...tacky beyond imagination to have them ON...some of you, get a clue!

[DCinFrance]

Sorry, but by law, everything must have a readable price tag. I live here.

[sac0914]

That may be so in France. Trust me, I have visited lots of N-Ms and Saks, they have price tags on their merchandise.

[jukesgrrl]

It's possible she didn't visit the store. In this price range, many stores will send an associate to a hotel with a rack of clothes chosen by an in-house shopper. I've NEVER, however, known any store to remove the price tags before the try-on. (And by-the-way, both Saks and N-M do have price tags; she bought Tahari, not custom Dior.) She knew how expensive the clothes were. And I'd be willing to bet that the RNC has some poor shlub at those stores this weekend trying to return every piece that didn't already have its picture on national TV.

[NTO08]

None of you know what you are talking about....

[Stephen308]

Kristol is right. McCain is running a bad campaign. The republican party is burning to the ground. The Republican party abandoned their conservative base and became just as corrupted in Washington as the democrats they had replaced.

Mccain was never accepted or wanted by the base....it was a measure of how destroyed the party was that he was able to become the nominee.

Thus far the democratic congress has been given a pass on it's massive spending, lack of action, and general corruption. But after the Republicans are crushed.....the democrats will have no place to hide....they will be responsible for their spending and their failures. Although I expect the liberal press will try to provide additional cover....but for how long?

I think this is going to get ugly, really ugly for America and the world. And then, they will be reminded, they asked for it, they were begging for it.

[SeanGardner]

"Kristol is right"

He's trying to change the subject, but it won't work.

You know what the subject is, don't you Stephen308? It's this: Kristol and his minions at THE WEEKLY STANDARD magazine were the leading conservative cheerleaders for Palin being picked as the vice-presidential candidate. Can't run away from that.

Everyone saw him on Fox News Sunday, week after week leading up to Sarah Palin being picked by McCain. And he was clearly the leading proponent of Sarah Palin being the VP. No one else on any station, on any show mentioned her name. It was him.

So he should show some responsibility for waving his pom poms for Palin without doing the necessary homework on her DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS ("oil pipeline that will never get built"), RIDICULOUS FOREIGN POLICY CLAIMS ("I can see Russia from my house"), CHECKERED POLITICAL RECORD ("making rape victims pay for rape kits; cutting funding for teen mothers and W.I.C. recipients) and SCANDAL-ICIOUS ACTIVITY (running Ted Stevens' 527; hiding government e-mails on personal accounts).

Kristol deserves just as much blame as anyone else. He took credit when she was picked. He should now take "personal responsibility" for this colossal blunder.

McCain baked a bad cake. And Palin is the CHERRY ON TOP.

[lainey]

The Republicans have been running the show for the past 6years and you want to blame the Dems for having the past two? When at every turn, the Republicans were there to block any progress? We are begging for men of great character and intellect to run this country. We are begging for a man who has Warren Buffet at his side during the economic crisis caused by the lack of regulation supported by the Republicans, and the endorsement/support of two intelligent four-star Generals--Powell and Wesley Clark--to help on foreign affairs. Most important, we are begging for Senator Obama who understood the consequences of going into Iraq before we did so, the one who went to Wall Street a year ago indicating our current crisis, the man who went to Israel and Palestine on his second trip as a US Senator to address the on-going crisis that had been ignored by this White House and the man who has said that we must talk to enemies to keep us safe. He is a great leader unto himself. It will be a long process cleaning up after this Republican mess and it won't be easy, but we will get it done. The future is bright for those of us who believe in the America that doesn't torture, cares for the next generation and those in need-- both here and abroad. Vote Democratic at every level and the best is yet to come...

[FlyingEagel]

Stephen308 . .."the democrats will have no place to hide....they will be responsible for their spending and their failures. Although I expect the liberal press will try to provide additional cover....but for how long?". .. . This is your prediction? We shall see. I believe things will be better in four years and when they are . . .people like you will say 4 years from now that it was Reagen's policy's that made this possible . .Give Us A Break

Obama 08

[Paul Peete - Huffpost Blogger]

You're right about one thing only. McCain is running a bad campaign. As for the Democrats, under Clinton, the country fared far better than any of the eight years of Bush. The Republicans have blocked as much legislation as they could in this Democratic controlled House by using a trick call Motions to Recommit. The razor thin margin in the Senate was with turncoat Joe LIEberman who was never committed to helping the Democrats.

the country has finally seen through the Karl Rove divide and conquer tactics and we are poised to have a Congress that can aid the new President, whom I trust will be Obama. We will make this country better through a lot of hard work and after the state we are in now, it will take quite a lot of sacrifice and sweat. Your vision of an ugly America is based in your ugly values and it has poisoned your outlook.

[Yermammy]

You tell it Paul! The only liberal media I've seen, has only been in nice dreams. Obama has run a legendary run for the White House. There's never, EVER been as many obstacles overcome, except for this man. His personality and mad skills got him here. Barack Obama IS the one. And a hero couldn't have come at a better time. Some people will never give him credit though, even when we go into bad times that were a result of the last eight. That's to be expected, I suppose. What a shame for those that refuse to see it.

[eichler1]

Steve-o, what's up with your mind?

FIrst, "going to get" ugly? Let's see: stolen elections; patriot act; secrecy in government; president = war criminal; torturing, then trying to "lawyer" their way around it; US held in lowest regard internationally in 75 years; WTC 7 = demo job; prison industrial complex; kidnap for torture (they call it "extraordinary renditions"); illegal wars; economic meltdown; corporate corruption (remember Enron et al?). Better hope it doesn't get any uglier!

Second, Democrats in Congress have "been given a pass" on "massive spending ... and general corruption?" Dude, you've got your parties all mixed up. The GOPigs have doubled spending, all on debt and nearly none of it to benefit the working people of this country. They have given corruption new meaning, and on a massive scale (think Halliburton no-bid contracts, Blackwater, Big Oil, Pharma, Insurance, etc., etc., etc.).

BTW, Steve-o, to what "liberal press" do you refer? Are you talking about the 90 percent of US media outlets owned by four giant and very conservative corporations? The GOPigs should get major credit for popularizing the notion of a "liberal media" -- truly, that is the kind of big lie that must have Hitler and his minister of propaganda positively beaming from their graves.

[DeeW]

I completely disagree with him. She's in charge. She should ask 'where did these come from' she's the one they're electing to a position of decision making. If she can't ask the simple question of 'where did these come from' and then tell them to return them because it wasn't ethical ... then she dosn't deserve a position of power.

[Stephen308]

You mean, the kind of ethics you demand of Obama....like he should have asked how that criminal influence paddler arranged a discount on his house? Seems to me your demand for HIGH ethics only applies to one party.

[ConcernfromCanada]

The price tag of her wardrobe is not the scandal, it is merely symptomatic of the mess that they are in. The bigger picture is clear to people the world over and a thinker in the WH now is far more important than another vapid symbol.

Just over a week from now, my favorite Reality TV Series will have its Season Finale and yet, somehow once the dog and pony show is over, real, so-called reality, will make a prime-time comeback.

[Martel]

Like most Republicans, you are what is referred to as a "low information voter". You watch and listen only to the kind of extreme right-wing trash being spewed by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Corp. or by the three right-wing owned corporations which control 90% of the radio stations in America and on which can be found nearly all of the angry talking head propagandists.

If you had even a small clue, you would know from the investigative work which has already been done and widely reported that there was no 'discount' whatsoever when Obama bought his house. He paid the going market value for the house at the time of purchase and he received a loan which had the same interest rate I would have received at the time, even though his credit record and income record was better than mine.

So the ethics problem is not Obama's. It's yours. And your refusal to do the research is an anti-American act.

[harriettubman]

He should've also said that hiding her and keeping her away from Meet the Press and other shows has hindered their campaign too.

[MisterV]

Mr. Kristol's embrace of , and apologist for, Sarah Palin is both sad and revealing. It reveals that he is essentially shallow and not anywhere near the intellectual thinker he pretends to be. The 900 word limit in the New York Times protects him from his own worst tendencies. It is sad because democracy requires real political discourse. And his partisan commentary, both in the NYT and FOX, adds nothing. He is, after all the intellectial trappings are removed, nothing more than a Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity who can write a declarative sentence.

[fem56]

Who complained about Edward's expensive haircuts? McCain said that she needed the clothes. So he did defend her. Maybe she did need them. Commercials cost a lot and just maybe the clothes said more. They give her supporters a charge. At this time in her life she has a lot of style and political timing plus she shots from the hip. Perhaps she needed the flashy clothes since she is long on looks and terribly short on readiness.

[thirteen13]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

[LeBeau59741]

She can't be let loose- look what happens when she slips her lead and goes off without her trainers- The Vice President is in charge of the Senate?
She knows better than the Colorado legislature what is possible within Colorado's budget?
She wants to make taxpayer money available to pay for private schools (but god forbid there should be subsidies for day care)
The SNL appearance did not add to her "luster"
The Couric interview will be laughed at in Poli-Sci and Journalism classes for decades.... no, no, it's really best that she be kept in her kenn... er...uhm... guilded cage, lest she actually attempt to further explain the clothes, the self-proclaimed witch hunter, how the Troopergate panel cleared her of wrongdoing or any of a dozen other topics about which the campaign is ill- served by her version of the "facts" being put back into the cycle.

[brynn6]

The minute that the Troopergate panel came in McCain could, and should have dropped her. That would have been the perfect time to save face because ethics violations is a big no-no. Then he could have brought in someone/anyone else and run a decent campaign. If he had done the right thing I think he would have had a much better chance of winning.

[sciphy]

The first rule of being employed by a government is not to accept gifts. Seriously, this woman has been a governor for nearly 22 months now-- she should know this. When someone from the staff showed up with clothing, she should have immediately said that she could not have accepted clothing. Surely, she knew the value of the Valentino jacket she wore when she gave her RNC speech. She was in Vogue for goodness sake.

[tsloan]

Isn't anyone concerned about his freakishly big mouth? But I digress.....

[Nagarjuna]

It's just that his eyes are so small.