For months, the mainstream media has obsessed with the evils of the "right wing attack machine." Recently, CBS bizarrely labeled attacks on Obama’s campaign financing flip flop "swift boating." ABC’s George Stephanopoulos even defended the Obama campaign’s discrimination against Muslims to "combat the issue" of false rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
While much of the mainstream media frets about the alleged GOP slime machine, they ignore the much larger, more heavily financed true smear machine from the left. The Politico reports that far left blogger John Aravosis, who also humiliates those who do not fit his brand of liberalism, is now attacking McCain’s Vietnam War record (ironically is exactly the outrage directed at the "swift boat" veterans)
Aravosis accused McCain, among other things, of making a "propaganda video" for the enemy. Politico reports Aravosis responded noting such charges against John Kerry four years ago (two wrongs make a right?) Aravosis failed to mention that McCain was among the first Republicans to condemn the "swift boat ads."
John Aravosis is not the only major figure to jump on the smear bandwagon. Politico also found two posts on the Obama campaign’s community website, my.BarackObama.com labeling McCain a "war criminal." Left wing activist Noam Chomsky hinted McCain’s heroism may be over hyped because the Republican nominee participated in an "unjust war."
How will the mainstream media react to such actions? Thus far they only see smears coming from the right. "Washington Post" chief political reporter Dan Balz, in an online chat forum, responded to one question on the very topic.
Fairfax, Va.: We get it, people believe false things about Obama. However the left is starting to spread false rumors about McCain committing war crimes during Vietnam. I would hope The Post would spend equal time to quash the rumors about a Republican as well.
Dan Balz: What have you seen on this? Have you gotten emails on this or anything like that?
If questioning Kerry’s Vietnam record in 2004 was an unjust smear, what does the media say to those who do the same to McCain four years later? Perhaps this is too much of an inconvenient truth as it does not fit their template of the right wing attack machine.
