Not even ready to be a VP candidate

Ben Smith expands on Howard Fineman's report about the Palin-McCain campaign's decision to let her return to Alaska for several days, adding the crucial detail that she will campaign with McCain at a stop or two before heading up there (as she obviously did in Cedarburg).

Fineman's source (and mine) said she'd spent much of the time between now and the middle of next week (when her son leaves for Iraq) straightening her affairs, tending to her official duties and packing her bags -- having departed abruptly for the national stage. She also seems unlikely to do many major media interviews between now and then, and the campaign seems to feel no urgency about putting her on the Sunday shows.

The campaign will "also use the plane time and time on the ground to begin the education of Sarah Palin," Fineman said. "They want to take that pause to train."