Obama set a simple and direct standard for fair play: families are off limits for being attacked personally. Specifically Obama said he would not attack McCain's wife Cindy McCain period and expected the same from fellow Obama supporters. Obama challenged McCain to follow suit and hold himself (McCain) and his suppporters to the same standard of fair play.In no way does the Obama standard interefer with robust public debate on the election issues.
McCain refused to disown the various right wing attacks on Michele Obama from Hannity and other talk radio hate spewers. McCain claimed that Obama failed to disown the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) criticism of Cindy McCain's initial and repreated refusal to disclose her federal tax returns (since disclosed). The Obamas made disclosures that included the time before Obama was elected to the US Senate.
As the non-partisan Salon News documented, the DNC attack was on Senator McCain and not on Cindy McCain. Senator McCain had to take responsibility for not disclosing his tax returns. McCain, un-chialrously, used his wife as a shield against his being transparent.
Now McCain's behavior leads to the next expisode: approve attacks on Michele Obama by his supporters. By McCain's behavior he violates fair play, acts hypocritically and aids and abets uncivil political discourse.
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