But doggedly defending McCain's choice and Palin's right to privacy — with the accompanying deft backhand slap to the media for digging up the family's dirtier details — does bypass two important points.

Namely, that by introducing Palin as a dedicated, wholesome, anti-abortion former beauty queen "hockey mom" who hunts and fishes and rides snowmobiles and shoots guns and raises her children with a smile, it is the politicians who brought family, and family activities, into the discussion in the first place.

The McCain campaign was the first to invade Palin's privacy and expose her family life to the world, but just the G-rated good parts.

And since McCain, should he be elected president, will have many appointed positions to fill, from the Supreme Court to Cabinet positions to ambassadorships around the world, it is completely appropriate to scrutinize his judgment in the context of what he's running for.

Either he knew the details of her personal family life and still went ahead with Palin as his choice for vice president, or he didn't sufficiently do his homework and is now stuck with the choice. I'm not sure either one is all that flattering.

As for Palin, one thing's certain. Barring the quickest resignation in vice president selection history, she will continue to generate controversy and debate, favorable and not favorable, throughout the campaign.

For the Republicans, Gustav came and went. Sarah Palin, not so fast.

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Lee Benson is filing columns daily from the Republican National Convention. You can e-mail him at benson@

desnews.com.