He was more correct than he knew

Some people I know found Obama's repeated invocation of "manufactured distractions" to be annoying during the debate on Wednesday. Except, here's the thing: in at least one case, the distraction was entirely manufactured, right there on TV: Nash McCabe, the woman who asked about Barack Obama and lapel-pin flags, was quoted in a NYT piece earlier this month as being angry about the lapel flag thing. So, given the conduct of these morons throughout the debate, I think we know exactly what happened.

Charlie Gibson, a few days ago, thought to himself "Self, I really want to ask Obama about why he hates the American flag. But I have to at least pretend to be a journalist, so I can't just come out and ask that. Hmm. What to do?"

(A few minutes with Google or Lexis-Nexis passes.)

"Hot damn! This lady loves the flag as much as I do, and she's from Pennsylvania! GET ME A CAMERA, STAT!"

So yeah, the press is in the tank for McCain. We knew that. I don't actually think that G-Stef was trying to throw the debate for Sen. Clinton, I think he's just imbibed the same bastard idea of what it means to be a Washington "journalist" as most of the rest of the press corps.

I suspect, but haven't seen anything yet, that the same is true of the Tuzla question Hillary got.

McCain is on G-Stef's show this weekend. If there's even a whisper of balance left in ABC's news coverage, the questions should include, but not be limited to, McCain's history of adultery, his connection with the Savings and Loan swindle of the 1980s (especially relevant given the current real estate woes!) his 100-year plan for war in Iraq, and his pandering to anti-semitic and anti-Catholic religious bigots.

I mean, c'mon: the Pope is in Washington, and McCain's been endorsed by people who think the Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon. I think it's at least as relevant as whether or not Obama knows a dude who committed a crime before I was born, or before Obama arrived on the continental United States.