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I told you those stories were pure bullshit. And here is your proof, via Hot Air.

I talked to Steve Biegun, the former Bush NSC aid who briefed Sarah Palin on foreign policy, and he considers the leaks against her on the international stuff “absurd.”

He says there’s no way she didn’t know Africa was a continent, and whoever is saying she didn’t must be distorting “a fumble of words.” He talked to her about all manner of issues relating to Africa, from failed states to the Sudan. She was aware from the beginning of the conflict in Darfur, which is followed closely in evangelical churches, and was aware of Clinton’s AIDS initiative. That basically makes it impossible that she thought all of Africa was a country.

On not knowing what countries are in NAFTA, Biegun was part of the conversation that led to that accusation and it convinces him “somebody is acting with a high degree of maliciousness.” He was briefing Palin before a Univision interview, and talking to her about trade issues. He rolled through NAFTA, CAFTA, and the Colombia FTA. As he talked, people were coming in and out of the room, handing Palin things, etc. She was distracted from what Biegun was saying, and said, roughly, “Ok, who’s in NAFTA, what’s the deal with CAFTA, what’s up the FTA?”—her way, Biegun says, of saying “rack them and stack them,” begin again from the start. “Somebody is taking a conversation and twisting it maliciously,” he says.

Still believe it? Or can you admit that Sarah Palin is not as stupid as you’d like to believe she is?

Since two of my commenters have now posted links to the ridiculous Fox News story that makes Sarah Palin look like a brain-dead moron who’s barely smart enough to dress herself, let alone run for VP, let’s take a look at, gee, the actual facts.

A longtime aide to Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is lashing back at anonymous critics within the McCain-Palin presidential campaign, telling ABC News they are attacking the former vice presidential candidate with distortions.

Meg Stapleton offers an explanation of some of the more stinging criticisms that have come out in recent days since the McCain-Palin defeat.

Regarding the $150,000 worth of clothing the campaign bought Palin, Stapleton says a New York stylist was given a blank check and told to go and make Palin look presidential.

As to the charge that Palin is so stupid that she doesn’t know Africa is a continent: You can read for yourself how it was a verbal slip in the article. Or you can read these two paragraphs from a chat with the Washington Post reporter who wrote a profile of Palin:

Anyway, I’m curious to know if, in addition to her former coach, you tried to speak with any of her old teachers. What kind of student was she? What kind of grades did she make? How did she score on her SATs? Her athletic accomplishment and prowess as a huntress are on display here, but I would hope that there was something else that set her apart from her peers back then. Perhaps not. Perhaps she was just an ordinary, hard working kid.

Sally Jenkins: Good questions. I don’t know her SAT scores, but she was an honor student in high school. The Heaths didn’t tolerate poor grades. Her brother Chuck Jr. brought home one D, and it was like, the worst grade anyone ever got. His father read him the riot act. They were good high school students, very disciplined. Beyond that, I don’t know. I did talk with one of her college roommates, Kim Tillyy Ketchum, who was surprised to discover how sort of keen Palin was when they took a Political Science class, and another revelation was how unintimidated Palin was in a public speaking course.

We are asked to believe that Sarah Palin worked her way up to governor of her state, beating the incumbent, but she doesn’t know which nations make up NAFTA—in spite of living in one, and governing a state that borders a second. We are asked to believe that Palin is so effing stupid, she thinks Africa is a country. That’s right, honor students in Alaska aren’t taught anything at all about Africa the continent vs. Africa the country.

I think that anyone who believes this crap is telling us far more about himself than about Sarah Palin. It’s like a Rorschach test for non-critical thinkers. and people who fall for email scams.

Yeah, tell me again how you believe the reports because she’s “intellectually lazy.” But first, prove it. Not with a few minutes of interviews with Katie Couric and Charles Gibson. Find me evidence. Because right now, I’m calling bullshit on these lies, and frankly, calling anyone who believes them , well, let’s just use the phrase “intellectually lazy.”