It is rare that we are witnesses to the kind of smear campaign launched against Sarah Palin by Democrats, the left, and the media. The shocking virulence with which the attack has been conducted takes one aback with its audacity and nauseating hypocrisy.

The goal of the other side is nothing less than forcing John Mccain to withdraw Palin's name. Or failing that, making things so unpleasant for Palin that she asks to be let go. On both scores, the left has mounted an enormously vigorous challenge to Palin, going so far as to overthrow their own long held political positions on such issues as women's rights and abortion in order to attack her. The smear about Palin's child actually being her daughter's is largely laid to rest - except for those who now insist that Governor Palin was wearing a "fat suit" to fake the pregnancy pictures we saw on various websites.

Those people are beyond hope. But it is amazing how smoothly the left transitioned from that theme to other smears. Now the battle cry is that she is some kind of extremist for belonging to an organization called the Alaska Independence Party. Marc Ambinder debunks that attack quite cleanly by pointing out that the AIP is an accepted part of the Alaskan political landscape and is hardly an "extremist" organization anyway.

Through it all, Sarah Palin has maintained her composure, trying to shield her daughter while going on with the mission at hand - trying to get John McCain elected president. She has handled this very personal yet public situation extremely well.

Unless the left has something more damaging than what they've come up with so far, Palin will be on the ticket in November. Most of what they present as disqualifying evidence is so twisted with bias and outright falsehoods that they are easily tossed aside.

McCain has done his best to run interference for his running mate while Barack Obama has made the statement that the American people should understand that what is going on in the Palin household is private and should have no impact on the presidential race. While this is welcome from Mr. Obama, perhaps a statement asking his supporters to cease and desist in their rancid smear attacks on Palin might also have been a nice gesture.

The anticipation of Palin's speech is already building here and by tomorrow night, the convention should be more than primed to hear her speak. I predict that the Excel Center roof will have trouble staying on during her address.