Well, I’ve finally seen everything. John McCain, who enjoys more media affection than any political figure in recent memory, has taken to complainin
July 21, 2008

Well, I’ve finally seen everything. John McCain, who enjoys more media affection than any political figure in recent memory, has taken to complaining that reporters are overly fond of Barack Obama.

Honestly, hearing the McCain campaign whine about someone getting fawning media coverage is a bit like hearing Barry Bonds accuse someone getting an unfair advantage by abusing steroids.

For crying out loud, a detailed book was recently published chronicling the astoundingly biased coverage McCain has enjoyed for years.

Look, I don’t doubt that there are some media personalities who are inclined to support Obama. There clearly are. But to suggest that Obama has benefited more from media bias than McCain is insane. News outlets hammered Obama relentlessly on the meaningless Rezko story. And “NAFTA-gate.” And the alleged “plagiarism.”

When videos surfaced of Jeremiah Wright’s sermons, every network put them into constant rotation, practically every day, for months. When videos surfaced of radical televangelists associated with McCain, the media took a pass.

When Obama opted out of the public-financing system, the media went ballistic. When McCain violated campaign-finance law, the media took a pass.

When Obama said he would continue to “refine” his policy on Iraq, the media spent nearly three weeks screaming, “Flip-flopper!” When McCain completely reinvented himself, and flip-flopped on everything under the sun, the media praised McCain as a “maverick.”

When Obama attended a conference of the nation’s newspaper editors, AP Chairman Dean Singleton quizzed Obama about whether he would send more troops to Afghanistan, where “Obama bin Laden is still at large.” When McCain attended the same conference, AP reporters brought him his favorite donuts and a cup of coffee — made just the way he likes it.

The media has deemed McCain’s scandalous personal life off limits. And questions about McCain’s national security incompetence. And questions about the “100 years” remark. And the Keating Five scandal. Dems can’t even use the word “confused” without reporters accusing them of attacking McCain’s age.

Once in a while, reporters have even admitted that McCain gets less scrutiny than everyone else.

And McCain wants to complain that the media favors Obama? The chutzpah of the McCain campaign is truly limitless.

My friend Jon has a terrific item on all of this, including some great examples to disprove McCain's whining from the Media Matters archive.

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