Gene Lyons

writes about the dirty tricks campaigning going on this season. Democrats had the opportunity to turn two McCain gaffes to their advantage, but ultimately they bombed because McCain, the darling of the media, could call these assertions distortions and get away with it.

But back to Democratic dirty tricks. Everywhere you looked, from The Washington Post to Keith Olbermann’s MSNBC News program, you saw McCain pilloried for two classic “gaffes.” As the Post put it, the GOP candidate’s “inability to recall” how many houses he and his wife own jeopardized his strategy of framing Obama as an “elitist.” Campaigning in Wisconsin, the Democratic nominee lampooned McCain’s forgetfulness, also mocking him for defining as “rich” only somebody with an income exceeding $ 5 million a year.

The point was clear: The famous “straight-talking maverick” is basically a gigolo (to use a word Republicans used to describe John Kerry in 2004 ) whose much younger second wife inherited more money than the Bush family and Scrooge McDuck combined. For Obama, it was a twofer, also hinting that the 71-year-old McCain’s memory might be fading.

Alas, neither of these things ever happened. Asked how many homes he owned, McCain advised the reporter to check with his staff. He didn’t sound unable to recall, merely unwilling.

It’s much the same with the $ 5 million thing. Asked to define “rich” by Pastor Rick Warren, McCain jokingly ducked the question.

“If you’re just talking about income,” he said, “how about $ 5 million ?” He laughed, Warren laughed, the audience laughed.

It's not going to get better I'm afraid. The media will defend McCain no matter what.