The Right's current defense is that the Democrats are hiding behind children. That the kid was fair game because he was used for political purposes. Malkin says, "If you don’t want questions, don’t foist these children onto the public stage." In comments, TLB says, "I guess the Democratic Party's tactic of hiding behind a 12-year-old child was, in retrospect, not such a neat idea after all?" So here's a question: Anyone remember Ashley's Story?
And here's another question: Does anyone remember DailyKos launching a feeding frenzy trying to smear or discredit Ashley? Anyone hear of Markos Moulitsas camping out outside her house to see if Ashley was really grieving? His readers interviewing her teachers to see if her academic performance had actually improved as a result of the President's hug? Did any of that happen? Or did the Left raise some questions about the political appropriateness of the ad without trying to destroy the family's name and reputation?
There's a difference here. And it's not in which side elevates sympathetic stories and individuals into the public eye. They both do that. It's in how low the other side stoops in response.
