'Is This Daily Kos or the Associated Press?'

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The Associated Press has long been a bastion of liberal bias. But has it now sunk to the level of a left-wing blog in the throes of Palin Derangement Syndrome?  Yes, suggests the Morning Joe folks.  In a rare bit of unanimity, the panel condemned and ridiculed AP for its "analysis" item, "Palin's words carry racial tinge."  According to Douglass K. Daniel, the item's author, Palin's criticism of Barack Obama for his association with Ayers somehow carries "a racially tinged subtext." See Warner Todd Huston's earlier discussion here.

Mika Brzezinski questioned the strategic wisdom of the McCain campaign's playing of the Ayers card, but even she joined in the excoriation of the AP.

View video here.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: It is a dark day for American journalism when the AP itself plays the race card, talking about how Sarah Palin, the Republican, is somehow launching a racially-tinged attack by bringing up a white, domestic terrorist. This is embarrassing.  I am embarrassed for the AP, Willie, and I have absolutely no idea where they're coming from.

Willie Geist, normally reluctant to express strong opinions, weighed in.

WILLIE GEIST: Joe, let me say first, I agree with you totally.

After Willie read a bit more from the AP piece, Joe made the unkindest cut of all.

SCARBOROUGH: Is this Daily Kos or is this the Associated Press, which is supposed to be the bedrock of American journalism?  Whoever the editor was on the Washington desk who allowed that to go out should be embarrassed for themselves because they have a venerable institution. Again, on which journalism seems to be founded, and they're allowing these type of attacks in the middle of a campaign. It is an embarrassment for the AP, Mika.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I agree they screwed up.

Mika went on to argue that Palin's attack was bad political strategy since it opened the door for the Obama McCain to raise McCain's Keating Five connection and various Palin affiliations.  But Pat Buchanan opined that going after Obama's Ayers connection was not merely justified, it was necessary if McCain wants to win.

PAT BUCHANAN: It’s perfectly legitimate to take up the issue of John McCain’s real misjudgments back there 15 years ago in the Keating Five case from which he was exonerated.  But if the Republicans and the conservatives don’t peel  the hide off of Barack Obama, and portray him as what they believe he is, based upon hard evidence: his associations with Reverend Wright, Rezko and Mr. Ayers, which show terrible judgment on his part, they’re going to lose the election.  I don’t think they ought to take the advice of the mainstream media, which I don’t think wishes them well, frankly.  So I’ve got no problems at all with this.