Time: Mrs. McCain Part of 'Rough Republican Attack Machine'

It appears now that Barack Obama is the favorite to win the Democrat nomination for president, media are reluctant to use Hillary Clinton's "vast right-wing conspiracy" tag.

Apparently, the new strategy when someone on the right says something someone on the left doesn't like is to blame it all on the "Rough Republican Attack Machine."

At least this was the way Time editor-at-large Mark Halperin defended Michelle Obama from talk radio and conservative blog reaction to her disgraceful remarks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday (emphasis added throughout, h/t NBer imaU2fan):

The [Obama] campaign has clarified her comment thusly: Of course she is proud of America and loves her country, but she recognizes its political system has not always been perfect. Like her husband, Michelle Obama has garnered extraordinarily positive press coverage, and, despite some cautiously critical commentary during the last 12 hours, the dominant Old Media has not yet pounced on her remark.

Makes you wonder why "the dominant Old Media" have been cautious with their criticism. This hypocrisy seemed to elude Halperin:

But if you sample talk radio and the conservative blogs, you will get a neat preview of what will happen if Barack Obama is the Democrats’ presidential nominee and his wife makes similar statements as a potential first lady. The opposition will launch a full-scale assault against her judgment and (at least indirectly) her character and patriotism, and all previous remarks, including this one, will be recycled, replayed, and condemned.

Halperin conveniently forgot how Jeri Thompson, the wife of former GOP candidate Fred Thompson, was eviscerated by the press months ago for being a "trophy wife."

Yet, maybe even more hypocritical was how Halperin's sense of chivalry didn't extend to John McCain's wife:

The clearest evidence: Cindy McCain, who almost never involves herself in the politics of the day and shies from controversy, struck back with this response: “I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you. If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country.”

Hmmm. So, let's understand the thought process here: one candidate's wife implies that she hasn't been really proud of her country for many decades, and that's okay because "she recognizes its political system has not always been perfect." But, when another candidate's wife says that she is very proud of her country, that's a full-scale assault?

How astonishing. But, here was the money shot:

The Clinton campaign has often argued that Barack Obama is not prepared to face a general election onslaught from the rough Republican attack machine, but that contention has not yet been extended to Michelle Obama. This may change, given the pressures surrounding the current cluster of primaries.

And there you have it. You can toss your "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" buttons away, for now anytime you say something people like Halperin don't like, you are a part of the "Rough Republican Attack Machine."

Think sometime soon you'll hear the phrase, "He Got RRAMed?"