Nicole Wallace undermines McCain criticism

One of the key tactics of the Bush White House after 9/11 was to try to delegitimize any criticism of President Bush. Media Matters reports that McCain spokesperson Nicole Wallace took a similar approach on MSNBC, telling David Gregory that Barack Obama is "fillet[ing] an American hero, a former POW" when he criticizes McCain on the stump:

GREGORY: Let's talk about this campaign --

WALLACE: Sure.

GREGORY: -- and talk about McCain campaign strategy. You have tried, the campaign has recently, to tarnish Obama's credibility and his image in a couple of ways. On the one hand, it is to describe him as a celebrity, to use Britney Spears, Paris Hilton to suggest he's sort of famous for being famous, that he's a lightweight. That's on the one hand.

On the other hand, it is to reduce his energy plan to the idea of the tire gauge, to suggest that his whole energy plan is really about whether there's enough air in the tires.

So the question is, are these ambush political tactics? And is that consistent with the original maverick that you [unintelligible] John McCain is?

WALLACE: You know, two quick things here, David. One, I never hear anyone put it to the Obama campaign, the internal deliberations that they may have gone to when they made the strategic decision to essentially fillet an American hero, a former POW, on the stump every day, which is what comes out of their candidate's mouth every day on the stump.

In other words, McCain shouldn't be criticized because of his experience as a prisoner of war. It's a profoundly anti-democratic statement. Here's the video:

Comments

[David]

I agree with Brendan that this McCain spokesperson was attempting to delegitimize criticism of McCain. I don't think that effort will succeed. Criticism is a normal and appropriate part of political campaigns.

Obama didn't need a spokesperson to try to delegitimize critcism of him. David Gregory took on that job when he called McCain's criticism of Obama an "ambush" and "inconsistent" with McCain's being a maverick. IMHO it seems like media bias when a reporter in effect acts as an Obama spokesperson.

I think Brendan is over-playing that brief part of her response. I took it much more as an aside; it certainly wasn't central to her defense of recent McCain camp ads and statements.

Wallace pretty much said that if they criticize us we'll criticize them, with whatever we can come up with.

****

But to David's remark - Gregory didn't make those statements. He asked a set of questions -

"are these ambush political tactics?"

"is this consistent with the McCain image of being a straight shooter?"

The examples he gave were - "to describe him as a celebrity, to use Britney Spears, Paris Hilton to suggest he's sort of famous for being famous, that he's a lightweight."

and

"to reduce his energy plan to the idea of the tire gauge, to suggest that his whole energy plan is really about whether there's enough air in the tires."

justify the wording of the questions.

They were directed questions, but they didn't show a "bias". These are common questions (or charges) and Gregory gave Wallace a chance to respond to them.

[David]

In order to be convinced that there was no bias, I would want to see a link to David Gregory asking an Obama spokesman whether Obama was using ambush political tactics inconsistent with his straight shooter image, or some equivalently harsh questions.

[The Objective Historian]

Brendan ... you are strange.

No one says Obama can't criticize McCain; the point is that they are both criticizing each other so to accuse McCain of "ambush" tactics is absurd. Really the issue is why criticizing Obama is ambush tactics. So the point is that McCain is being "filleted" and is fighting back; not that he cannot be filleted.

TOH