MORNING READ

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is still the talk of the blogosphere even though the Republican ticket lost Tuesday. Anonymous John McCain aides have irritated conservative bloggers by leaking to the press that Palin failed to know basic facts and went on a shopping spree more extensive than previously reported. The GOP dissension is delighting liberal bloggers. And two names floated for Barack Obama’s cabinet earn criticism from bloggers on both sides.

Someone in the McCain camp told Fox News that the GOP vice presidential nominee thought Africa was a country and didn’t know the countries in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Unnamed sources also told Newsweek that Palin went on a shopping spree for herself and her family using a donor’s money and low-level staffers’ credit cards. The anonymous trashing of Palin is disgusting, especially since she helped energize conservatives and worked her heart out for McCain’s campaign, writes Michelle Malkin. RedState’s Erick Erickson vows to track down the leakers and make them political lepers by constantly reminding the GOP base about their conduct. Erickson’s initial list includes McCain campaign spokeswoman Nicolle Wallace, strategist Steve Schmidt and Mark McKinnon, McCain’s advertising guru during the primaries.

The leaks suggest that the McCain team is trying to pin Tuesday’s loss on Palin, writes Political Animal’s Steve Benen. One McCain staffer, Randy Scheunemann, was fired for trash-talking about his fellow staffers to Palin, reports CNN. With all the infighting, it’s going to be a fun week to watch, writes AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis.

The handful of reasons why Obama shouldn’t have Lawrence Summers reprise his role as Treasury Secretary include the notion that Summers would represent a look back to the past and his remarks at Harvard questioning women’s inherent capacity to learn about science, writes TalkingPointsMemo’s Josh Marshall. Obama’s preferred choice of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a partisan operative, as White House chief of staff shows that the Obama’s theme of “new politics” is just rhetoric, writes RedState’s Pejman Yousefzadeh.

FROM THE BLOGS:
McCain Campaign’s Classless Cowards – Michelle Malkin
Operation Leper – Erick Erickson, RedState
Full-Scale Kneecapping – Ace, Ace of Spades HQ
McCain Aide Fired for Trash-Talking – J. Aravosis, AMERICAblog
‘Wasilla Hillbillies Looting Neiman’ – Steve Benen, Political Animal
Trying to Bury Her – Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Summoning Summers? – Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Emanuel Isn’t New Politics – Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
Suggestions for Obama’s Transition Team – Jeralyn, TalkLeft

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Turns to Building Leadership Team – Wall Street Journal
For Obama, No Time to Bask in Victory – New York Times
Democrats Vow to Pursue Aggressive Agenda – New York Times
Dems Lower Expectations – The Hill