On FOX News, Senator and presidential candidate John McCain made an interesting stumble. The interviewer asked McCain if Governor Sarah Palin has become a drag on his campaign. He said that she has revitalized the party and a “counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America.”

We understand, this is probably code for abortion.

He also said that she has a family, is a reformer and a conservative and she is “the best thing that could have happened to my campaign and to America.”

What we do not understand is why he would make such a claim.

Palin breaks the mold in many ways. She is a mother of five, something which is becoming less and less common in America. She is also running for one of the highest offices in America – the vice presidency. Which she says is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.

So, how is she counter to the liberal feminist agenda? What is the liberal feminist agenda, according to McCain? While our collective knowledge of feminism is lacking, we’re fairly sure that we have exited out of the wave of bra-burning feminism and entered into a wave of feminism that encourages women to do what they want to do without fear of criticism or restraint from either sex. There are stay-at-home moms, stay-at-home dads, and situations where both parents have to work.

This is not another Palin-bashing column, but a question of how McCain is running his campaign.

If he wants to say that Palin is a counterpoint to abortion – which is true, she is against abortion – then he should say it.

Feminism is a tricky subject, and if McCain is going to promote how much he likes “straight talk” then perhaps he should practice what he preaches.

Palin is obviously a strong woman who works hard. However, if she is going to dictate what a woman should be, then she is not a feminist, nor is she a counterpoint to the liberal feminist movement.