AP Obama reporter-supporter in action

This from the AP’s Obama reporter-supporter Glen Johnson:

Top aides to Republian John McCain are claiming Democrat Barack Obama and his advisers are exploiting Wall Street's financial problems for political gain.

Aide Steve Schmidt, who worked for the Bush-Cheney team in 2004, told reporters Thursday aboard McCain's plane that Obama is "cheerleading this crisis." He said McCain is seeking a bipartisan solution although Schmidt and aides Mark Salter and Nicole Wallace also said Democratic congressional leaders should be condemned for considering adjourning without addressing the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the sale of Merrill Lynch and the emergency government loan to insurer AIG.

The aides say the Arizona senator will make the same criticisms during his speeches.(all emphasis added)

The first sentence of Obama supporter-reporter Johnson’s story could have read:

Top aides to Republian John McCain accused Democrat Barack Obama and his advisers of exploiting Wall Street's financial problems for political gain.

Reporters and bloggers know “accused” is stronger the “claiming.”

That’s no doubt why Johnson went with “claiming.”

Reporters routinely quote campaign aides without referencing their past campaign affiliations unless doing so is relevant to the story at hand.

Schmidt’s connection to the ’04 Bush-Cheney team is not relevant to Johnson’s story.

But tying Sen. McCain to Bush-Cheney is part of Team Obama’s strategy.

So “on strategy” reporter-supporter Johnson drops the Bush-Cheney reference into his story.

Johnson uses “although” to suggest there’s something contradictory regarding McCain seeking a bipartisan solution and his aides condemning Dems for considering adjournment without addressing the current financial market turmoil.

But leaders often seek bipartisan solutions while aides condemn the other side.

At the time of the integration of Central High in Little Rock, President Eisenhower sought bipartisan solutions to many of the crises in Little Rock even as some of his aides condemned those Dems in Congress who were doing nothing to help the President and, in fact, were supporting the segregationists.