Agreed. If I can paraphrase a comment I read somewhere earlier today: Balance should not include giving equal time to lies and mischaracterizations. This is an area where the “media” needs to step up and stop being so timid about drawing attention to false claims and degrees of false claims.

Actually that is wrong. the media is so conscience of balance that they go to ridiculous lengths. And they strived to show Mccain as much as Obama. But, McCain also took a whole lot of days off if you remember.
It was not the coverage but, the perception.
McCain had on his website until he ran the celebrity ad on his bio the description of him being a political celebrity. that was wiped out due to the ad.
In reality, mcCain was jealous and had fits over the celebrity and excitement around Obama. McCain was jealous because he use to be the celebrity senator.
Part of why he soul his honor and went for the Rove thing, even with new celebrity Palin, is McCain outright rage at Obama for daring to overshadow him.
If you scratch beneath the surface, you will find McCain has a raging jealousy of Obama and this is why he is relishing going so dirty.

sd, how in the world can you even say that? The whole country knows all about Senator Obama's past life and his church and fellow community organizers. And if you think that the Republican party hasn't been picking through every possible Obama-related document for the last 2 years, just searching for dirt, you are either just not paying attention, or you are just lying. Not to mention, of course, that the whole “30 lawyers” thing has been debunked, and isn't actually true. As ChrisWWW says above, even if they had — why not go through the PUBLIC records of the area to try to figure out what this person is? Or is it too intrusive to find out what came of all this amazing “experience” she has?

McCain spent June doing townhall meetings to try to get what is now called earned media. http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/calendar/De… The media ignored him. Remember his visit to an Air Force Base in Mississippi. You probably do not since the media ignored him. When either candidate talks about issues, the media ignore them and focus on gossip and speculation.

See http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008… about divorce records.

Of course it is funny that the people who want every single detail about Palin could not bother to look at Senator Obama's past life or his church or his fellow community organizers.

I don't believe that I have read anything anywhere as the storm continues to grow over McCain's sleezapalooza as revealing as your plaint that he tried to run an honorable campaign but the media ignored him.

First of all, McCain was getting coverage to die for during the June/July period you cite as he stepped up the personal attacks on McCain and began beating the “he's a celebrity” drum. If anything, it was Obama who was getting drowned out.

Secondly, you unintentionally acknowledge what folks like AR cannot. The issue here is extremely simple: McCain has changed his stripes because he is desperate to win. Character, integrity, engaging on the issues and treating his opponent with respect are not winning ingredients because McCain has become a resume without a man.

ALL:

The former business partner of Todd Palin sought to have his divorced records sealed about the time that there were unsubstantiated rumors that Sarah had had an affair with the partner. The judge refused to have the records sealed. They included no mention of any affair.

How can you consider 30 lawyers in Alaska as the high road along with trying to get divorce records opened and medical records released.

First off, there is no proof that Obama sent any lawyers to Alaska.

Second, if he had, it would be smart politics and smart for the country. She's an unknown, light should be shed on her record as Governor and Mayor.

Third, it's understood that the public should get some access to the medical records of the people trying to become the most powerful politicians in the land.

Fourth, who is trying to open anyone's closed divorce records?

How can you consider 30 lawyers in Alaska as the high road along with trying to get divorce records opened and medical records released.

The media wants nothing to do with the high road from either candidate. The one policy speech that Senator Obama gaves ended up as a disaster since his own children would not be afected at all and he obviously did not care about what he was saying.

With Pelosi in the House, the only way that a Republican could be a bipartisan is to give Pelosi whatever she wanted.

McCain tried for a month in June/July to have an honorable campaign. He slipped in the polls and the media ignored him. What else is suppose to do? Let the MSM ignore him while they crown Senator Obama?

It seems McCain's lust for power has clouded out any sense of honor or practicality he had left.

Maybe Shaun can write a post how Senator Obama can claim he is for change while promoting every Demcratic Power block's ideas. Maybe Shaun can write a post of how the Democrats can promote open borders and unlimited immigration while saying they will raise real wages. Maybe Shaun can point to the Ivy League economics class that promotes the idea of raising taxes during a recession.

I guess rambling rants of recycled Media matters talking points is what passes for political wisdom at big city newspapers these days but for the rest of us, it is just ramblings.