Republican strategist Mary Matalin occupies interesting territory.
She's an unabashed Sarah Palin "advocate", as well as a big fan of Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace -- two of Palin's bete noires in Going Rogue.
Matalin (ea)
They [Schmidt and Wallace] are uniquely talented, cool under fire, cutting-edge creative professionals, admired and respected by their peers of all political persuasions and their many high-level bosses.
And ironically, however it ended, the relationship began as a match made in heaven. Both Steve and Nicolle were ecstatic with Palin's selection as vice presidential nominee; and both were appalled at the outrageous, unspeakable, unparalleled media treatment heaped on Palin and her family.
Steve, normally the toughest guy in the room, called me at home on multiple occasions, just flabbergasted and flummoxed about how to protect Palin and her family and, of course keep the campaign on track. He was in genuine pain for her -- not a good state of mind or use of energy for the campaign guru, which he knew -- but he devoted much concentration to the astounding set of circumstances. Ditto for Nicolle.
That Palin recalls her experience with them so negatively and ugly incidents so vividly does not make her a liar, as people with neither her nor the party's best interests in mind have charged. The operating principle of campaigns, perception is reality, works inside as well as outside.
Once her perception of reality locked in negatively, particularly on Schmidt and Wallace, there was only one prism through which all their actions flowed. And it wasn't pretty.
UPDATE: Nicole Wallace answers some of Palin's charges.
On how Couric was chosen to interview Palin:
"The whole notion there was a conversation where I tried to cajole her into a conversation with Katie [Couric] is fiction.... I am not someone who throws around the word 'self-esteem.' It is a fictional description. Katie Couric was selected because we did evening anchors.... I did not advocate an interview for anyone I am friends with."
On preparation and expectations for the Couric interview:
"We set up this interview on the day of the U.N. General Assembly, with a walk-and-talk in front of the U.N. It was never made as two working gals. It's either rationalization or justification or fiction.
That was supposed to be to highlight her foreign policy savvy [in the context of] the U.N. General Assembly. The picture is in front of the U.N. to highlight her expertise and readiness to be Vice President -- it wasn't about two working gals."
