A new line of counterattack is emerging from defenders of Sarah Palin at the Republican National Convention: the Alaska governor is being held to a standard that critics would never impose on a male politician.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift said so after meeting today with Rhode Island delegates. She praised presidential candidate John McCain for showing "the courage and the guts'' to pick as his running mate a woman who "will talk about what's right for families, who will talk about what's right for the country first.''

But Republican Swift warned that "none of that will come about without a lot of background noise that will distract'' from Palin's accomplishments. That was a reference to the controversy over 17-year-old Bristol Palin's pregnancy, among other elements of the vice presidential candidate's background.

In an interview later, Swift said, "No doubt there is a different standard for women in politics. We saw it in the Democratic primaries (between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama) and we're seeing it again now,'' Swift said.

Swift and other women have said that they are particularly galled by questions about how Palin would care for her five children if she wins the demanding job she seeks -- questions, they said, that a man would never be expected to field on the campaign trail.

"As the mother of three daughters, I say that we have got to give our daughters the same playing field that our boys have.'' Tonight, Swift said, "my three girls will be at home and they'll be watching'' Palin's acceptance speech, "and they'll be proud.''

Rhode Island First Lady Sue Carcieri said in an interview that the best way to eliminate the double standard in politics is "to have more women running for president.'' To advance that goal, she said, "we need more women governors because that is a real executive post.''