Some Republicans Say Leave Sarah Palin Alone

A string of nasty stories about GOP running mate Sarah Palin have many conservative activists planning to fire back at the leakers in the McCain camp—and Sen. John McCain himself if he doesn't end the assault. "The McCain guys who dump on Palin are in for a very rough time. There are long memories of losers blaming conservatives for losses. Not gonna have it here. She did McCain a favor," said a key conservative activist in an E-mail to Whispers. "McCain and his minions, true to form, s—- all over the only conservative on the team," added another conservative.

The anger at the attacks on the Alaska governor follow a story on Fox News Channel in which McCain aides are quoted saying that Palin didn't know Africa was a continent and that she pushed back when they tried to give her advice. "I have just listened to Carl Cameron on Fox spew the nastiest crap I ever heard come out of the McCain camp on Palin. It's sickening and disgustingly sexist," said a prominent Washington conservative official on background. Former Palin aides also say that they are disappointed with the attacks on the candidate, which seem to suggest it was her fault McCain blew the election. "Look, he and they came to her. She didn't go looking for this job," said one. "I'm so disgusted, that I can't even put it into words." Another who advised Palin said that the attacks on the veep choice confirmed the feeling among many McCain staffers that top aides were looking out for themselves amid the finger-pointing of blame. "There weren't a lot of people vested in McCain," said the adviser.