Posted on 07/02/2009 12:59:47 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
John McCain and Sarah Palin both personally approved an intensive internal search of the emails of top campaign staffers in order to determine who had been leaking damaging information about Palin to reporters, McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt just told me in an interview.
John McCain and Sarah Palin were both informed that we were doing this in an attempt to catch the person, Schmidt told me, referring to his decision to undertake the email search, which has been the topic of fierce controversy since it was revealed yesterday.
Schmidts revelation sheds new light on the campaigns internal discord and on just how frustrated McCain and Palin both were about the leaks, which portrayed Palin as a diva and a whackjob at a key moment when the campaigns were battling over her image. Schmidts claim will also up the stakes in the fierce infighting among top Republicans over what went wrong.
Politico reported yesterday that Schmidt had ordered an internal email search to staunch the leaks, and quoted Schmidt claiming foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann had been busted and disciplined for leaking about the campaign. Scheunemanns allies have disputed the revelations, pointing out he never leaked anything about Palin, and Scheunemann ally Bill Kristol went on the air and demanded to know who had authorized the leak hunt.
Now we have our answer: McCain and Palin. Or so says Schmidt, anyway.
(Excerpt) Read more at theplumline.whorunsgov.com ...
Who will look at Schmitt’s emails?
hopefully all future candidates will remember this before hiring this bozo on.
ya take money for the job you should do it. if you dont like the candidate you shouldnt take the job
Like he cared,,Schmitt undermined her constantly.
Schmidt, Nicolle Wallace, and possibly Charlie Black.
Schmidt is a lying sack of !@#$
Guaranteed to be a fruit. Bank on it.
I think everyone knows that Schmitt was behind the effort to undermine Palin.
Schmidt’s in CYA mode. I don’t believe anything he says.
Bill Kristol is a well known Palin basher. Would not be surprised if his finger prints are all over this with that Randy guy.
Well, Kristol was certainly standing up for her yesterday. He was the first one to shoot back at Vanity Fair and Schmidt with heavy artillery. Scheunemann’s been behind Palin 100% ever since the debate with Biden, which has been previously documented. The leakers are Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace and/or her husband Mark Wallace.
I know my Democrat friends are enjoying watching the GOP participate in this circular firing squad.
You don't know what you are talking about. Kristol was and (as far as I know) remains an early Palin backer. He was early on saying to the McCain campaign "Let Palin be Palin".
I wouldn’t trust Bill Kristol at all.
Carl Cameron, the gossip columnist, for Faux News would know.
Rinos attacked R. Reagan when Ford was running, They attacked Goldwater when Nixon was running. This is nothing new. It will be nothing compared to the attacks that will occur from the liberals who are scared out of their wits of a Religious, Married, Beautiful women who raised a disabled child instead of killing it. Is Governor of a rural state of Conservative and liberal people, and was re elected I think by a large margin. Balances a budget, Says no to crazy spending, and despite zer0 launching scores of lawyers to find dirt on Her, Nothing has stuck.
Total BS!!! Kristol has stood up and cheered Palin from day one.
You must be confusing him with Frum or someone else.
Kristol is pro-Palin since long. They met before she ran for VP and he has defended her ever since.
Must have confused him with the other stooges he takes the stage with on Fox.. Fred Barnes and Krauthammer. I haven’t watched the Beltway Boys since the election.
Another look at the scary people McCain surrounded himself with.
“Another look at the scary people McCain surrounded himself with.”
No wonder he ran such a crappy campaign.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.