Republicans opened an intense assault on the news media today, alleging that coverage of John McCain's choice for running mate, Sarah Palin, was infused by sexism and double standards. The new front in the party's campaign to buttress public support for the Alaska governor was opened just hours before Palin was to introduce herself to the nation in a prime-time televised speech to the party's convention.

A few hours later, a group of prominent Republican women held a news conference in St. Paul to scold reporters who have raised questions about Palin's experience, family life and political allegiances. "Shame on them, shame on all of them." said Rosario Marin, who was the U.S. treasurer earlier in the Bush administration.

Fred Thompson, the former Tennessee senator who was a McCain rival for the nomination, kicked off the campaign against the media in his speech to the convention Tuesday night. "Let's be clear," he said, "the selection of Gov. Palin has the other side and their friends in the media in a state of panic." He was one of several Republicans who said the media are taking cues from Democrats and not subjecting Barack Obama to the same scrutiny over his experience.

At the news conference, Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard executive who is heading up the Republican Victory 2008 fundraising campaign, said, "The Republican Party will not stand by while Sarah Palin is subjected to sexist attitudes."

The news conference sought to rebut the criticism from Democrats that Palin, who was elected governor in 2006 after prior turns as mayor of a town of 7,000 and commissioner of a state energy panel, lacked sufficient experience to be president. "She is more prepared than Barack Obama to be president of the United States," said former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift.

The campaign also worked to combat the perception that McCain and his aides had not spent enough time reviewing her political and personal record before announcing her as the running mate last week.

"This nonsense is over," senior campaign adviser Steve Schmidt declared in a statement, lashing out at "the old boys' network" that he says runs media organizations. "The McCain campaign will have no further comment about our long and thorough process," Schmidt said. Various news accounts have pointed out that McCain has only had two face-to-face meetings with Palin and that campaign officials were gathering information about Palin up to the day before the announcement was made.

Soon after sunrise, Palin appeared on the Xcel Energy Center stage to review the arrangements for her speech tonight. Shortly after noon she and her family met McCain on the tarmac as he arrived for the convention. They made no public statements.

The event at which the GOP women spoke quickly became combative. After several of the speakers said Hillary Rodham Clinton had been subjected to sexism as well, a reporter asked Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee about whether Republicans had spoken out sufficiently to condemn the treatment of the New York senator, the runner-up for the Democratic nomination this year and a lightning rod for criticism from the GOP right.

"Had we been more vocal, you all would have chosen not to report it," Blackburn said.

Fiorina said she had spoken out against the sexism Clinton endured, but when asked by another reporter whether Republicans had themselves subjected Clinton to sexism, Fiorina answered no.

"The party took her on on the issues, took her on hard," she said. The answer prompted giggling among someone in the crowd of reporters, who may have recalled repeated Republican criticism of Clinton's attitudes toward marriage, family and the role of women in private and public life.

Three days after McCain announced Palin as his choice for the No. 2 spot, the campaign announced that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant. In addition, it has been disclosed that a private attorney is authorized to spend $95,000 of state money to represent the governor in the investigation of charges that she abused her power as governor and that Palin sought some congressional earmarks as both mayor and governor, in some contrast to the impression of her as an anti-earmark reformer.

The republican party complains about the Scrutiney on her private and political life, saying that the Media is a "Big bad Attack Dog".  And now they are complaining that she is the subject of Sexism.  No, you just don't like what they are saying, deal with it.  There is no Sexism, there is No "Unjust" media coverage, not when you run for the Office of Vice President.  Stop complaining, it's just like your "Woes of Racism" complaints from Obama.  Oh, and this had to be one of the Worst Pics for a Vice President that McCain could have chosen, a FAR right wing little known Canidate with little experience, (Which has gone against his message for his entire Campaign)  it's Remeniscent of Bushes choice of Dan Quayle.  This move has now cost McCain the Election.  Unless utter disaster hits Obama's Campaign,  the Republican Party has lost its bid for the Executive Branch.