St. Paul (Minnesota), Sept. 3 : Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin has reportedly convinced GOP presidential nominee John McCain about her credentials for the job, new pictures show.

The exclusive backstage photos, snapped in Dayton, Ohio, just before McCain introduced his controversial running mate, catch a beaming McCain and the Alaska governor with their families.

McCain''s wife, Cindy, Palin''s husband, Todd, and four of their five children — including pregnant 17-year-old Bristol — share smiles and conversation as word begins leaking about Palin''s nomination.

They seem blissfully unaware of the turmoil to come — a looming "troopergate" scandal in Alaska and word that Bristol was unwed and pregnant.

As party insiders complained his vetting process was sloppy and incomplete, McCain defended his pick of the freshman Alaska governor — and said he was sure there were no more skeletons out there.

"The vetting process was completely thorough and I''m grateful for the results," McCain said.

However, there is a sense of unease about Palin, a popular choice among many of the conservatives who dominate the convention roster.

"Among the pros hanging around the hotel lobbies, something doesn''t feel right," one of them said.

"There''s a growing concern this is not the last shoe [to drop]. It''s pretty clear that there''s more of a shakeout coming," he added.

McCain loyalists maintained the vetting process headed by former White House chief counsel A. B. Culvahouse had been exhaustive. But one Republican with close ties to the McCain camp said vetters had been hamstrung by Palin''s lone-wolf operating style.

Those who know the Arizona senator best said Palin''s selection was typical McCain: "He looked at her and said, ‘She''s like me.''"

His gut reaction overrode what his staff told him in the vetting process, said Torie Clarke, a former long-time McCain staffer and Pentagon spokeswoman. (ANI)