This week Gebe Martinez from Politico.com had to set him straight when he served up the standard MSM myth about McCain's stand on Immigration:

Now finally McCain has had to "reject" Hagee, but he only does so by setting up an almost farcical distinction between his pastor and Obama's pastor:

"I have said I do not believe Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright's extreme views. But let me also be clear, Reverend Hagee was not and is not my pastor or spiritual advisor, and I did not attend his church for twenty years. I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today."

Does "Straight-Talk" think we're stupid? First, there's nothing "immediate" about his actions. People have known for years -- since the 1960's, in fact -- what kind of preacher Hagee was -- and still Straight-Talk actively sought his endorsement for President of the United States.

Whatever you think of Wright, at least Obama never asked him that.

So if anyone has some explaining to do, it's John McCain.  People might want to know why his request for an endorsement from someone with a record of 40 years is better than no request -- absolutely none -- by Obama after only 20.  Mr. Straight-Talk has no lessons to teach to anyone.

No doubt soon the MSM will criticize this back-and-forth as nothing but "name-calling".  They'll comment regretfully on how this only serves to lower the tone of the campaign.

And to a certain extent, you'll have to sympathize with them.  Someone from our side responding forcefully to the trash-talk coming from the other side?  It's something new!  How dare we?

Of course we have a model for this -- and it's not the rarefied boudoir male that the Media perennially tries to paint our candidates as.

Rather, it comes from Harry S. Truman, FDR and countless liberals before and after.  It's a tradition that doesn't let cheap shots like "limousine liberal", "tax and spend", "cut and run", and yes "appeasement" go unanswered.

It's exhilarating to see Obama embracing this tradition.  It's about time we all did.  It's the only way we can create a more balanced environment where liberal values stand a chance of succeeding.

You'd think it was the Dems who were on the skids.