Blame the media

Ambers, quoting McCain's Steve Schmidt:

"We are first amendment absolutists on this campaign," he said. "Of course, it is constitutionally protected with regard to writing whatever they want to write. Let's be clear and be honest with each other. Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization."

"It is a pro-Obama advocacy organization that every day, attacks the McCain campaign, attacks Gov. Palin and excuses Sen. Obama."

"There is no level of public vetting. There is no level of outrage ... let's not be dishonest and call it something other than what it is. Everything that is in the New York Times that attacks this campaign should be evaluated from that perspective."

Schmidt's particular bill of complaints included the lack of scrutiny directed at Sen. Joe Biden's son Hunter, a lobbyist.Schmidt's particular bill of complaints included the lack of scrutiny directed at Sen. Joe Biden's son Hunter, a lobbyist. The Times has covered the story, twice.

I'm not a fan of some of their opinion columns, but I've found the Times' reporting to be the most reliably informative as single outfits go. Attacking the world's most respected paper may win you points with the Rush Limbaugh crowd, but to do so in a conference call with other journalists? Most would give their left arm to write for the Times. Well ok maybe not an arm, typing is important these days, but you get my point.

If he wants favorable media coverage, Schmidt needs to get his ducks in a row and have his campaign do something worthy of praise.

For instance, today is day 24 and Palin still hasn't given a press conference. Will she wait until after her debate with Biden? If she's betting the farm, it's going to be do or die. I guess it gives the debate moderator fewer pertinent questions to ask, since there won't be many substantive answers to build on.

UPDATE: a fuller quote

But let's be clear and be honest with each other about something fundamental to this race, which is this: Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today not by an standard a journalistic organization. It is a pro-Obama advocacy organization that every day attacks the McCain campaign, attacks Sen. McCain, attacks Gov. Palin, and excuses Sen. Obama. There is no level of public vetting with regard to Sen. Obama's record, his background, his past statements. There is no level of outrage directed at his deceitful ads. This is an organization that is completely, totally, 150 percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate, which is their prerogative to be, but let's not be dishonest and call it something other than what it is. Everything that is read in the New York Times that attacks this campaign should be evaluated by the American people from that perspective, that it is an organization that has made a decision to cast aside its journalistic integrity and tradition to advocate for the defeat of one candidate, in this case John McCain, and advocate for the election of the other candidate, Barack Obama.

It must be tough running a campaign when places like The Economist and even Fox News occasionally take you to task over your outrageous lies. I'm sure that's all the Times' fault, too. Those elitists and their facts, who do they think they are? Show deference!

UPDATE II: here is Mother Jones