The real vetting problem: Republican elitism.

The biggest question in political circles -- not just inside the Beltway, but everywhere in America and indeed around the world -- is what happened in the vetting of the Wasilla Cannonball, Sarah Palin?

The real problem? Republican elitism:

Pushing back aggressively against charges of lax or hasty vetting, the McCain campaign disclosed Tuesday that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was one of six finalists for running mate who filled out a 70-question form that included detailed personal, professional and financial probing.

The campaign says the form included such detailed questions as: Have you been faithful in your marriage? Have you ever paid for sex? Have you ever downloaded pornography? Have you ever used or purchased drugs?

Republicans tasked white shoe lawyer/lobbyist and former Reagan White House counsel Arthur B. Culvahouse, Jr. with the process. And true to form, the McCain campaign went into battle prepared to fight the last war. They went out of their way to pick this brassy, New West "hockey mom," whose familial problems they now (are forced to) tout as genuinely American (as they are, in a way), but vetted her like any other Beltway politico.

In fact, it sounds like what little vetting there was was -- dare I say it? -- prepared for and by the usual suspects. The "coastal elites" so often bashed by Republicans desperately glomming on to the "reg'lar guy" image. This 70-item questionnaire she was asked to fill out no doubt hit all the coastal elite politicians' problems: arrests, hookers, drugs, etc. But I'll bet anything they didn't ask about poaching, pregnant teenagers, militias, wacky third party activities, plastic explosives, lay-away disputes with Wal-Mart, or what have you.

The Brooks Brothers crowd doesn't think to ask questions those questions. Despite the carefully tailored podium rhetoric, the party of Mr. I Don't Know How Many Houses I Own is simply not going to think to check on that.

But wait, what did I say?

Oh yeah, you heard me. Plastic explosives:

Fingerprint tests show that human remains found in a gravel pit east of Fairbanks on Wednesday are those of Joe Vogler, the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party, who vanished in May 1993, Alaska state troopers said today.

The discovery of the remains, following an anonymous tip to the authorities, apparently resolves a year-and-a-half-old mystery concerning Mr. Vogler, a folk hero throughout the state who was 80 when he disappeared from his home here.

The blue tarp and duct tape in which the remains were wrapped, officials said, matched a description given by a convicted thief, Manfred West, who confessed last summer that he had killed Mr. Vogler in a plastic-explosives sale gone bad and had then buried him.

The founder of the Alaskan Independence Party was killed in "a plastic-explosives sale gone bad?" Excuse me?

Is that what "hockey moms" are up to in Alaska these days? Hanging with fringe party types who get killed in plastic-explosives deals and turn up wrapped in a tarp and duct tape, dumped in a gravel pit?

Nobody has more questions about this? About the Palins' having been fellow travelers with separatist party types who get killed in plastic explosives deals right in the militia movement/Waco/Ruby Ridge/Oklahoma City historical sweet spot?

It's not like Republican militia-phile ciphers haven't made it as far as DC before, you know. Steve Stockman, anyone? Helen Chenoweth?

Oh dear. These "reg'lar Americans" might not be what the Country Club Republicans think they are.

(h/t: Gavin M. at Sadly, No!)