Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any Better...

Let's see -- the GOP is preparing to nominate a VP candidate who (1) had to lawyer-up recently due to her own personal TrooperGate Scandal, (2) is associated with a fringe, anti-American political group, (3) believes climate change is a hoax, (4) has a pregnant teen-aged daughter (yes -- I think the knocked-up daughter is a legitimate campaign issue), (5) once asked a library how she could go about banning books, (6) is so inexperienced that it makes McCain's advanced age into a bigger issue than it was before and seriously calls his judgment into question, and (7) instantly makes Obama's much-touted lack of experience into a non-issue.

That all adds up to a very bad week so far for the Republicans, which is kind of funny given that this is supposed to a very positive and triumphant time for them.

But if you thought it couldn't get any worse for the GOP, then you were wrong:

[J]ust two weeks ago, . . . Palin’s church, the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the founder of Jews for Jesus.

Palin’s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church’s website.

“He’s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism,” Kroon said.

Brickner then explained that Jesus and his disciples were themselves Jewish.

“The Jewish community, in particular, has a difficult time understanding this reality,” he said.

Brickner’s mission has drawn wide criticism from the organized Jewish community, and the Anti-Defamation League accused them in a report of “targeting Jews for conversion with subterfuge and deception.”

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.

"Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very real. When [Brickner's son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment — you can't miss it."

Palin was in church that day, Kroon said, though he cautioned against attributing Brickner’s views to her. * * *

Oh, Heaven forbid -- I can't imagine anyone ever making something like this into a political issue.

In any event, there can be no doubt that the McCain Camp is running scared right now. I like what Kevin Drum had to say with regard to how both McCain and Palin have dropped off the radar screen since last Friday's announcement:

This certainly demonstrates boundless confidence in Palin, doesn't it? She's great! But, um, no, nobody can talk to her. And of course that goes for John McCain too, who cancelled his scheduled appearance on Larry King tonight. His excuse: CNN's Campbell Brown had gone "over the line" in an interview with McCain flack Tucker Bounds and he was mad about it. Anybody buying that? Normally I might just write it off to McCain's famous sense of self-righteousness, but in this case it's pretty obvious he cancelled his appearance because he doesn't want to face the press either until he learns a little bit more about his "soulmate." Not to worry, though. I'm sure the vetting will be done any day now.

I'd be surprised if the GOP actually ended up nominating Palin for the VP slot. It just ain't gonna happen, which is unfortunate because she embodies many of the things that have gone wrong with the Republican Party.

Hopefully McCain will stick to his guns and keep her on the ticket. Maybe he'll conclude that the dangers involved in removing her from consideration would outweigh the dangers of keeping her.