It happened this morning when John McCain told Mika Brzezinski "I know you're a supporter of Senator Obama." Mika resorted to her favorite defense to the bias charge, mentioning that she has a brother who works on the McCain campaign and asking the Arizona senator to "say hello" to him for her. Just for good measure, McCain called Mika's tactic "a cheap shot."
It was Mika's question about campaign ads that touched things off . . .
View video here.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Senator, I want to ask you about campaign ads. Do you think the Obama ad, using your words about the fundamentals of the economy. Do you think that ad was fair?
JOHN MCCAIN: Ah, I don't--it's not up to me, Mika, to make those kinds of judgments. I'll leave it up to the American people. I still say to you, and I know you're a supporter of Senator Obama, if you would urge him to come and do townhall meetings with me, as I've asked him to do time after time, the whole tenor of the campaign would change.
Mika didn't quite deny the charge.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Supporter of Senator Obama?
JOE SCARBOROUGH: He's been listening to me too much.
BRZEZINSKI: I'm not sure I'd characterize myself as that—but that's OK!
Saying goodbye to McCain, Mika, as mentioned, dragged out her old favorite: the "my-brother-works-for-McCain" defense.
SCARBOROUGH: Senator John McCain, thank you so much for being with us --
BRZEZINSKI [seen in the screencap issuing her instructions to McCain]: And senator, as a characterized Barack Obama supporter, which I take objection to, I'll just say take care of my brother working on your campaign. Say hi to Ian for me! Take care.
MCCAIN: Thank you, Mika. Thanks: that was a cheap shot.
Can you feel the love? We'll see if it's smart politics to pick a fight with someone with three daily hours of air time. But it certainly was a bracing bit of straight talk.
PS: Don't anyone ever accuse me of conservative bias. Both my beloved sisters are Massachusetts liberals.
