They're using guilt by association. Since you can't attack Obama directly, attack people that are close to him. I'm glad though that they are going to look into the details of all the remarks made by candidate's religious advisors and associates, especially since McCain is being endorsed by batshit crazy people like Hagee, Rod Parsley, etc who think America deserved 9/11 because it embraces teh gay!, that we should immediately go to war with Iran in order to hasten the rapture, victims of hurricane Katrina deserved what they got because N.O. was full of sin. I guess if we apply the same standard to McCain that people have been applying to Obama, there will be plenty of ammunition for people who think McCain is unhinged.
I won't hold my breath though.
Transitional, a little detail for you.
To argue that they're not comparable conflates two entirely separate analytical issues:
(1) Given their close and long-standing personal relationship, does Wright merit more scrutiny vis-a-vis Obama than white, radical evangelical ministers merit Republican politicians?
and,
(2) Are the statements of white evangelical ministers subjected to the same standards of judgment as those being applied to Wright's statements?
Even if the answer to (1) is "yes," that doesn't change the fact that the answer to (2) is a resounding "no."
McCain hasn't had Hagee for his preacher for 20 years, but he sought out his support and gladly accepted it. Obama has been with Wright for a long time, but repudiated his more inflammatory remarks. I'm still waiting for the same repudiation from McCain, but so far, the press has largely been silent. I find it especially interesting that one of McCain's "spiritual advisors" Rod Parsley can say things like :
"America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion [Islam] destroyed."
without anyone missing a beat. Again, still waiting for McCain's press conference where he repudiates the remarks of people whose support he actively sought out and accepted.