Palin calls McCain's former aides "jerks"

New York, Nov 8 (PTI) Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has
fired back at the former aides of John McCain, calling them
"jerks" for circulating unflattering stories about her since
the Republican ticket lost its bid for the White House
Tuesday.

The stories, attributed to unnamed sources within the
McCain campaign, include claims that Palin, who was the
running mate of the Republican Senator, did not know Africa
was a continent instead of a country, or which countries are
part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (N.A.F.T.A.),
despite touting her familiarity with neighbouring Canada.

Palin asserted that the stories were not true and
speculated that they may have originated with campaign
staffers who helped her prepare for her debate with Democratic
Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

"Those were taken out of context and that's cruel,"
Palin, who has returned to Alaska, told CNN. "It's
mean-spirited. It's immature. It's unprofessional and those
guys are jerks if they came away with it, taking things out of
context, and then tried to spread something on national news."

The network quoted one source involved in preparing Palin
for interviews and the vice-presidential debate as saying "she
had not paid attention to a single policy debate that's gone
on in this country for 10 years."

Palin told CNN that she remembers having conversations
about N.A.F.T.A. and Africa during her preparations, but that
the stories about her "are not true." She said it was
"cowardly" for staffers to make claims about her anonymously.

"It's not fair and it's not right," she said.

Two McCain sources were quoted as saying that they were
furious about Palin's supposed call on Saturday with French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, which turned out to be a prank by
two radio DJs.

CNN quoted a source close to Palin as saying she had
prepared to deliver a concession speech Tuesday and expected
to address the crowd at the Arizona Baltimore in Phoenix.

Several sources were quoted as saying that McCain senior
adviser Steve Schmidt told Palin 'no', in part because of
built-up anger among some McCain aides who say she had become
more interested in her own future than in McCain's election.
Palin denies that claim.

There have also been reports of a somewhat distant
relationship between McCain and his running mate, CNN said.

"This is so unfortunate and, quite honestly, sickening,"
Palin aide Meghan Stapleton told the network in a written
statement. "The accusations we are hearing and reading are not
true, and since we deny all these anonymous allegations, there
is nothing specific to which we will respond."

"We have the highest regards for Senator John McCain.
Governor Palin was honoured to be chosen as McCain's running
mate. And as Governor of Alaska, Palin looks forward to
working with President-elect Obama on securing energy
independence for America."

On Election Day, Palin denied there was tension. Once
back in Alaska, she said she would not respond to individual
accusations.

"I won't comment on anyone's gossip or allegations that
are based on anonymous sources," she told CNN. "That's kind of
a small, evidently bitter type of person who would anonymously
charge something foolish like that -- that I perhaps didn't
know an answer to a question. So until I know who was talking
about it, I won't have a comment on false allegations."

In response to allegations that she was ill-prepared for
interviews and debate, Randy Scheunemann, a Palin aide, called
her "brilliant" and said she has a "photographic memory."

Despite the acrimony, many McCain aides say they are sad
the campaign team dissolved so quickly.