Palin v McCain - The only conclusion is that John McCain wants her taken down.

Oh my. (From Robert Draper's blog)

I’m sympathetic to Eskew and Wallace, and not just because they’re decent people. They’ve held their tongue from leaking what a couple of McCain higher-ups have told me—namely, that Palin simply knew nothing about national and international issues. Which meant, as one such adviser said to me: “Letting Sarah be Sarah may not be such a good thing.”

I’ve heard from one well-placed source that McCain has snubbed her on one long bus ride aboard the Straight Talk Express, to the embarrassment of those sitting nearby.

I think there can be no question now that this is going on with McCain's sanction.

Note the sourcing in the first paragraph, "higher ups" than Tucker Eskew and Nicole Wallace certainly means Steve Schmidt, Rick Davis, or McCain himself. (and the first two wouldn't be doing this for four days without McCain's tacit nod.)

So, stop for a minute to appreciate that in the critical phase of a losing campaign, John McCain, the Republican nominee, is either actively or inactively allowing his vice Presidential nominee to be destroyed, damaging his own chances, and those of his party, just a week before the election.

Unbelievable.

So, we've established the what and the who, so I guess the next question is motive.

What affront so offended John McCain that would he pay this big cost to do this now? (Let's remember, he's petty.)

I don't think it was the Couric or Gibson interviews, I don't think it was the debate. I don't think it was simply the polling. Somewhere out there, there was some particular slight that lit the flash paper.

Maybe contradicting them on abandoning Michigan? From the exchanges, she was in contact with those that opposed the move. Maybe contacting the Michigan party chair behind their back?

Later: Maybe there was an internal blowup over Troopergate or some other vetting issue.

Maybe she lied or wasn't candid about Troopergate or Bridge to Nowhere or something in the brief interviews that constituted her vetting?

I don't know, but I think the reason for the falling out is the next step in the story. (We need to find out when the bus ride "snub" took place.)

Later Still: Even more trash talking "leaked" to Jake Tapper.

And, Stephanopolous covers it as well, rementioning that McCain staffers are sending their resumes around.