Is Michelle Obama an Innocent Bystander?

In an interview aired last night on the CBS Evening News, Katie Couric asked Barack Obama what the McCain campaign did "in the course of this campaign that made you the angriest."

Obama was quick to say what made his angriest didn't come from McCain but rather the bad old right wing media:

I mean, I, I do think that there is a -- there is a Republican or right-wing -- media outlet -- set of media outlets that went after my wife for a while in a way that I thought was just completely out of bounds. And -- and I, you know, frankly I -- you know, I would have never considered or expected my allies to do something comparable to the spouse of an opponent...I just feel like family is -- are civilians. And they don't sign up for this stuff. They support -- their spouse. But generally, you know, they're really -- should be bystanders in this process, even if they're campaigning for you. You know, they're saying nice things about -- about their -- their, in this case, their husbands. I mean, that's what you expect. And -- and that doesn't make them suddenly targets. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/03/earlyshow/main4564777.shtml)

Michelle Obama wasn't merely saying nice things about her husband. When the spouse of a Presidential candidate tells the world she's proud of her country for the first time and that her country is "just downright mean" it is going to evoke criticism and deservedly so. If Barack Obama doesn't want the "right-wing media" to criticize his wife she needs to either think before she speaks or not say anything at all.

Barack Obama's daughters, on the other hand, are off limits. They are children and do not deserve the wrath of any discontent towards their father or mother. I wish the media had taken this to heart where it concerned Bristol Palin and Trig Palin. In fairness to Obama, he did call on the media to back off Sarah Palin's children last September. (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/obama-defends-p.html)

Still, I don't think Michelle Obama nor for that matter Cindy McCain are innocent bystanders if they make questionable public statements.