Politico reports on the amazing inconsistency of the political class and its counterparts in the media. They very things that George Bush did that teed off Dems and libs don't seem to bother them anymore. And vice versa when it comes to Reps and cons. Not an original point perhaps, but one worth pondering.
Snippets:
"Virtually all the Democrats who were apoplectic about Bush and were constantly complaining about him 'trampling on our values' over eavesdropping and detention have been silent about assassination, even though it's so much more severe," [Salon.com's Glenn] Greenwald said. "It isn't that Obama is necessarily any worse on civil liberties than Bush. The point is he's able to get away with so much more."…
He's attended 103 reelection fundraisers — about double the 52 such events Bush had attended at this point in 2004, according to tallies kept by CBS's Mark Knoller.
Obama also changed course and recently blessed the efforts of super PAC Priorities USA Action, allowing top campaign aides and even Cabinet members to appear at its fundraising events….
Since Obama took office, prosecutors have filed six criminal, Espionage Act cases over leaks — more prosecutions than under all prior presidents combined. In one, the Justice Department is trying to force New York Times reporter James Risen to identify his confidential sources and has argued to a federal appeals court that journalists enjoy no privilege against being called as witnesses in a criminal case. If the government prevails, Risen is likely to end up in jail for contempt….
Obama has hit the links more than 90 times since assuming the presidency in 2009. The outings, often weekly during the spring and summer months, draw scant attention from the press, save for a few complaints from pool reporters about being stuck for the day at an Andrews Air Force Base food court.
Bush's golfing was a frequent subject of mockery by his critics. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" immortalized the 43rd president on the links in 2002 decrying the scourge of terrorism before declaring, "Now watch this drive!"
Political hypocrisy is nothing new, of course, and it cuts both ways. The same folks who are bitching about Obama for X, Y, and Z may well have been defending Bush a few years ago. But none of that makes it less seemly, especially when the media insists that it is the watchdog of democracy and all that jazz.
