Now McCain is playing the sexism card to divert attention from Palin's lack of experience

More from Ben Smith at Politico:

During the primary Sarah Palin chided Hillary Clinton for complaining about sexism.

"She does herself a disservice to even mention it, really," Palin said. "When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, 'Man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress this country,'" Palin said. "I don't think it bodes well for her."

She, or at least her advisers in McCain-land, seem to have discarded this principle today, along with years of Republican complaints about identity politics and political correctness.

The campaign just blasted out an op-ed by adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer under the heading "Ignore the Chauvinists. Palin Has Real Experience."

Said McCain adviser Carly Fiorina: “Because of Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Gov. Palin.”

Also, Lindsey Graham:

“Would a man be asked this question? Probably not,” the South Carolina Republican said in an interview with Politico.

“Did anybody ask [Democratic vice presidential nominee] Joe Biden [similar questions] when his tragedy hit him?"

NOTE FROM JOHN: Yeah, um, last time I checked, our party nominated a woman to be vice president 24 years ago. You just got around to it last week. And we chose a woman who was actually qualified. We then almost chose another woman as our presidential nominee just three months ago. What's the closest a woman ever got to becoming the Republican presidential nominee? Yes, the Republican party, the great defender of women. It's amazing how whiny they get when they screw up.

Jonathan Martin at Politico also notes the apparent hypocrisy of the GOP now playing identity politics:

All that complaining over the years by Republicans about identity politics and political correctness...

Yeah, never mind.

They now have a chance to score some political points, so they're engaging in such posturing full-tilt.

And finally, ABC's Jake Tapper doesn't seem to buy it either. Jake prints the "evidence" the McCain campaign presents to justify the charge of "sexism." Not surprisingly, the McCain campaign has no idea what sexism is. Then again, Republicans never have been very big on civil rights, the rights of women, African-Americans, gays, Latinos, and so many more Americans. I mean, McCain himself voted against the creation of a national holiday for Martin Luther King. So it's no surprise that the issue has them a bit confused.