Belive Me, It Will Get Worse

From swampolitics.com

By Mark Silva

ST. PAUL - Sen. John McCain knew that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's teenage daughter was pregnant when he picked her for his running mate - he had learned about it in a private conservation with Palin last week, according to McCain's chief campaign strategist.

But campaign chief Steve Schmidt, calling it a "private family matter,'' says the campaign only decided to disclose the pregnancy when "smear'' rumors started surfacing on the Internet. He suggested somewhat ruefully today that once word got out, the media could not be trusted to handle the matter with "decency.''

It should have no bearing either on the race or Palin's ability to serve as vice president, he said.

"Life happens in families,'' Schmidt told reporters crowding around him in the basement of the arena where the Republican National Convention is opening today. "If people try to politicize this, the American people would be appalled by it.''

The campaign was forced to disclose the information, the manager suggested in his talk with reporters here.