McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, speaking in Colorado Springs, Colo., said Fannie and Freddie had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." The companies, however, aren't taxpayer funded but operate as private companies. The takeover may result in a taxpayer bailout during reorganization.

Well, McCain campaign advisor Todd Harris said they didn't want Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to make a mistake early on, and that's exactly what happened today. Palin, commenting on the news that the Federal Goverment was going to take over the poortly performing loan organizations Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae, apparently did not know that the firms were privately owned and held. Palin said this, as written by the McClatchy Washington Bureau It's this basic lack of knoweldge of Federal Government operation that both Obama / Biden supporters and GOP backers who questioned McCain's logic in selecting Palin are concerned with. Palin has no experience in talking about, let alone working to solve, Federal Government problems and policy matters on a regular basis that many wondered if McCain would have to engage in "on the campaign trail" training.It appears that's the case.This comes a week before Palin's scheduled ABC interview.