So there are populists who are unwilling to kick the old man’s casket as it’s being built. One, at least.

This is a gracious answer. And if anyone had an excuse to be a bit less than gracious after Maverick used his new book to express his regret at not nominating his Democratic buddy over her for VP, it’s Palin. She called the revelation a “perpetual gut punch” but she’s standing up for him to the bitter end — even against Trump:

At first Palin said she was ‘frustrated’ with Trump for not having a lighter touch with McCain.

Then she stopped and said a better word would be ‘disappointment’ because Trump has been ‘disparaging Sen. McCain – his record, his history as a veteran – when we don’t know all the details of all those years that Sen. McCain made sacrifices for this country as a POW.’…

‘In spite of everything that has erupted in these past days with his spokesperson – or perhaps he himself – saying that he regrets that they chose me to run on their ticket,’ she said, ‘despite all that, he has been my friend.’

Almost a Spockian poignance to that last bit, no snark intended. In fact, she’s straining so hard to let McCain off the hook for his buyer’s remorse about her that she refuses to allow that it’s really him who’s been telling people that: “I attribute a lot of what we’re hearing and reading regarding McCain’s statements to his ghostwriter or ghostwriters,” she told the Daily Mail She’s under no illusions about the truth, I’m sure; this is just another gracious way in which she’s trying to reduce the awkwardness of Maverick shanking her publicly for the sake of his legacy. It would be nice if the McCain family repaid the kindness with a few warm words about her too. Appreciations of McCain are in short supply on the right, even in the White House.

She does get in a little dig at him for his maverickiness too often leading him away from conservatism, but she’s entitled. And it’s true!

New to NBC: Sarah Palin on John McCain: "I will never disparage someone who has served our country and made a lot of sacrifices as a vet now. And that’s how I look at him—as someone who served all those years." pic.twitter.com/v5bAb79TOy

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) May 11, 2018