Politics

On Palin, conservatives also bash Republican operatives for talking out of school

Jonathan Strong Jonathan Strong, 27, is a reporter for the Daily Caller covering Congress. Previously, he was a reporter for Inside EPA where he wrote about environmental regulation in great detail, and before that a staffer for Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA). Strong graduated from Wheaton College (IL) with a degree in political science in 2006. He is a huge fan of and season ticket holder to the Washington Capitals hockey team. Strong and his wife reside in Arlington.
Font Size:

Though most of the attention on the latest Politico vs. Sarah Palin dustup is revolving around charges of media bias, conservatives are also angry with the GOP operatives who are anonymously sniping at Palin.

“The last thing Republican operatives should be discussing on the eve of a historic election featuring conservative women is some kind of goofy ‘Stop Palin’ strategy.  Unfortunately this is typical of the GOP establishment’s self-serving worldview which the grassroots have clearly repudiated,” said Penny Nance, chief executive officer of Concerned Women for America.

The pushback comes in response to a Politico story that quoted several anonymous Republican operatives worrying aloud that a Palin presidential candidacy could end in disaster.

“We believe she could get the nomination, but Barack Obama would crush her,” said a source identified by Politico as “one prominent and longtime Washington Republican.”

Palin and her allies are pushing back, attacking the media first. But they are also aiming their ire at the sources for the story.

“We’re especially sick of Republicans trying to run the party anonymously,” said Tim Graham of the Media Research Center.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele added his voice to the mix on Monday, as well.

“These Republican leaders who don’t put their names in print but make comments in shadows need to shut up,” Steele said on CNN’s “American Morning.”