I was going to let it go when Politico did it but now NBC’s done it too, so let’s take a moment. The new narrative about fingerpointing within Team Maverick is starting to congeal and naturally Palin, given her unfavorables, is expected to be Scapegoat #1. Hence the media interest today in Tom Ridge hinting McCain would win Pennsylvania if he was VP, which is arguably true but overlooks the minor detail of how those red states McCain desperately needs to hold would have reacted to a pro-choice VP. Here’s the latest obvious attempt to advance the ball, distorting an innocent line by the guy who was reportedly passed over for the ‘Cuda to make it sound like he thinks she’s not ready:

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman Friday continued to stand by Republican John McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate.

But when asked by The Advocate if Palin is ready to be president from day one, Lieberman said “thank God she’s not going to have to be president from day one. McCain’s going to be alive and well.”

Do I actually need to explain this? The prospect is raised of a close friend dying and he says, essentially, “thank god he’s not dead,” and the media’s reading it as “thank god that halfwit on the bottom of the ticket won’t be in charge.” Read down a bit further in the interview, though, and you’ll find this:

“Let’s hope she never has to be ready because we hope McCain is elected and live out his term,” Lieberman said. “But if, God forbid, an accident occurs or something of that kind, she’ll be ready. She’s had executive experience. She’s smart. And she will have had on-the-job training.”

Are people seriously suggesting that McCain’s chief political crony (aside from Graham), who spoke at the convention and who’s been relentlessly on message for the past six months, would be knocking Palin with 10 days left?

Here’s the final piece of her interview with Brian Williams, which must be the longest I’ve heard her speak on the subject of her treatment by the media. “I think the most frustrating thing has been some unfair shots taken against my family because they have been based on lies,” she says. I wonder who she has in mind.