Bob Cesca calls it Scarborough’s Law, and it has been faithfully been implemented by the media throughout this campaign:

When the Republicans attack, repeat the attack over and over. When the Democrats attack, attack the Democrats. For lack of a better term, let’s call it Scarborough’s Law, in honor of Joe “The Shovel” Scarborough.

According to Cesca, it’s like the media is “performing with Republican cue cards.”

There are plenty of examples in Cesca’s post:

So we’re not allowed to criticize Senator McCain on foreign policy… because Senator McCain was a POW? I rest my case. . . By the same strained, exploitative cranky logic are we also not allowed to criticize McCain for having a nonexistent health care plan… because of his skin cancer? (I hasten to note: skin cancer that was treated via socialized medicine.) Are we not allowed to criticize McCain on his plan to privatize social security… because he’s an old man?

Scarborough’s Law is a substantiation of what is really going on.  The media has deigned that Obama has the burden of proof. This is a legal phrase, but what it means is simple: the media has been asserting that the tie goes to one of the parties, and they have chosen McCain over Obama.  Why?  Who the hell knows.  Maybe it’s because McCain is white or old or that the media owners give a lot more money to republicans in return for stealing unfettered access to the public airwaves from the People.  Maybe it’s because those media barbecues by McCain are paying off.

It’s time for the media to start asserting that a tie is a tie, and that there is no burden of proof, because that alleged burden is not coming from the People, but rather from those who are trying, once again, to usurp political power from the people.  It’s time to even the playing field by peppering McCain with the same unfair attacks that the media has been launching at Obama.  It they leveled the playing field, this election would immediately be over.