Outrageous Umbrage

Michael Scherer has a must-read story on the gotcha game that got Jim Johnson today. So much righteous indignation to express, so little time before Election Day to express it all. The McCain camp's statement reacting to Johnson's resignation is a classic of the genre:

"Jim Johnson's resignation raises serious questions about Barack Obama's judgment. Selecting the vice presidential nominee is the most important decision a presidential candidate can make and one even Barack Obama has said will 'signal how I want to operate my presidency.' By entrusting this process to a man who has now been forced to step down because of questionable loans, the American people have reason to question the judgment of a candidate who has shown he will only make the right call when under pressure from the news media. America can't afford a president who flip-flops on key questions in the course of 24 hours. That's not change we can believe in." --McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds

In other words, if Jim Johnson stays, it raises serious questions. If he resigns, it....raises serious questions!

As Scherer points out, both sides play this game with the same level of faux outrage. So much for that high-minded campaign we were promised.