Washington Post columnist Claims to have uncovered Another Macaca Moment

Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus claims that Republican Bob McDonnell's college paper amounts to another Macaca moment. For those of you that don't know what a Macaca moment is, it is when the liberal Washington Post claims to have some dirt on a Republican - dirt so bad that it can change the course of an election and result in the victory of a hapless Democrat, whom the Post just happened to endorse.

But citing a 20 year old college paper is patently unfair. When McDonnell wrote his thesis the views he expressed were perfectly mainstream. I would venture to say that most Virginians shared those views in 1989. But like a lot of issues we have evolved in many areas, including our views of homosexuality and a woman's role in society. Markus and her fellow Democrats want to take what McDonnell said in 1989, and use a 2009 standard to decide whether his views are out of the mainstream.

Towards the end of her article Marcus does concedes:

I am prepared to accept that McDonnell's views have evolved in the past 20 years. The shift in public attitudes toward gay rights has been remarkable; it is certainly possible that McDonnell's hostility toward homosexuality has moderated -- somewhat.

That is very open minded of her, but by using the word 'somewhat' she and her fellow Democrats can continue to attack McDonnell for views he held in 1989!

Since McDonnell wrote his college theses he has served in the House of Delegates and served as Virginia's Attorney General. Marcus stretches her long arms, and by the tips of her fingers reaches back 20 years for a college paper. Although no doubt in the coming weeks she will also attack McDonnell's public record, it seems she finds his college record is more salacious, and in her mind more damming. Also she may have noticed at one time Deeds and McDonnell had similar voting records in the General Assembly.

There is also the issue of the Post's double standard. Hillary Clinton requested that Wellesley not release her senior thesis to anyone. For years it stayed buried, and the Post never expressed concern. They never thought it was relevant. It seems Clinton's thesis praised Marxist Saul Alinsky - what is controversial about that!

But do we now have a new standard? I wonder if Ms. Marcus thinks that all candidates now should have to release their college papers? Or only Republican candidates?
If it weren't for their double standards the Post would have no standards at all.