Oh So NOW They're Vetting Her

John McCain's campaign said today that they "have a team on the ground in Alaska" to look more thoroughly into Sarah Palin's background. Barn door wide open, horse seen accepting nomination.

The New York Times reports that not only had McCain only met Palin once prior to asking her to join the ticket, he'd been holding out until the last minute for Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge.

Up until midweek last week, some 48 to 72 hours before Mr. McCain introduced Ms. Palin at a Friday rally in Dayton, Ohio, Mr. McCain was still holding out the hope that he could choose a good friend, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, a Republican close to the campaign said. Mr. McCain had also been interested in another favorite, former Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania.

But both men favor abortion rights, anathema to the Christian conservatives who make up a crucial base of the Republican Party. As word leaked out that Mr. McCain was seriously considering the men, the campaign was bombarded by outrage from influential conservatives who predicted an explosive floor fight at the convention and vowed rejection of Mr. Ridge or Mr. Lieberman by the delegates.

McCain clearly knew little to nothing about this woman.