John McCain's media pals can't seem to grasp McCain's campaign finance scandal

Today's Washington Post editorial about John McCain and campaign finance rank as one of the paper's worst editorials ever (not counting all the pro-Iraq war cheerleading). Then again, big surprise. Fred Hiatt, who runs the editorial page, never reads his own newspaper, so his editorials always contradict the actual news, and facts, in his own paper. This time is no different. After a series of articles about McCain planning to break the campaign finance law, a crime punishable by 5 years in jail, suddenly the Post's editorial page says it's not a big deal.

You see, poor John McCain has gotten himself in to a campaign finance mess -- and none of it, according to the Post is his fault. The FEC is dysfunctional because of the GOP Senate, but that's not McCain's fault:

Mr. McCain shouldn't be trapped by a standoff over which he has no control -- although, we would note, the logjam could be fixed if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were to allow an up-or-down vote on the pending nominees.

Yeah, because John McCain has no way to influence Mitch McConnell. That gives the flavor for the absurdity of the Post's position.

McCain is trying to scam the campaign finance system. Through that scam, McCain secured a loan (and get his name on the ballot in key states, which the Post fails to mention), but now he wants out of the system and all of its restrictions. The editorials notes:

this is not Mr. McCain's proudest moment as a reformer: He derived some benefit from the matching funds system and then abandoned it when that was to his advantage.

Okay, not his proudest moment? How about: McCain is breaking the law if he exceeds the spending. McCain can't just abandon the system that he entered of his own volition. He tried to pull a fast one - and he's been busted. And "some benefit"? Are they kidding? He got a $4 million loan when his campaign was broke, using the public finance system as collateral. That's "some benefit" according to the Post. Nice.

Best of all, the Post is worried that Democrats have more money this year. Yeah, because that's never the case for the GOP.

And, the NY Times isn't off the hook on this issue. That paper has an article about McCain's fundraising frenzy and never once mentions the major scandal brewing over the campaign finance violations. But, the article does explain why McCain gets special treatment:

And Mr. McCain said he planned to continue to hold forth with reporters on the back of his bus, the Straight Talk Express.

Aides believe that doing so makes Mr. McCain less likely to be the subject of what they call “gotcha” journalism, and not merely because he tries to develop a rapport with journalists, whom he has jokingly called “my base.” They believe that giving journalists access to the candidate, and the chance to hear about his positions at length, will make them less likely to jump on statements taken out of context.

They're all pals on the bus.

John McCain is breaking the campaign finance laws he purports to champion. That should be a very big story. And, it will be.