Palin's Troubles Mount For McCain: Reuters

Reuters reports that Palin's "troubles" are mounting for John McCain. The GOP nominee now spends much of his time being asked to defend Palin's judgment and experience, even among conservatives.

Mocked by comedians, derided by prominent conservatives and reeling from flustered interviews with national media, Sarah Palin is proving a risky gamble in Republican John McCain's quest for the White House.

"Palin is Ready? Please" a headline in Newsweek said this week of the moose-hunting Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate, capping a turbulent week in which Palin's fitness for the job came under growing scrutiny.

"Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified to be vice president," Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria wrote.

"She is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. But she has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start," he said.

Indeed, in recent days, McCain has:

-- Gotten testy with the Des Moines Register editorial board, describing Republicans who question Palin as "Georgetown cocktail party" people-- Insisted to NPR that he has actually consulted Palin for foreign policy advice "many times"-- Claimed that quoting Palin's public remarks on Pakisan was "gotcha journalism"-- Lost much of his campaign staff to Palin debate prep