Video: The straw-man attack

CQ Politics takes a look at the history of the straw-man attack, brought to vivid reality in the first weeks of the Obama administration with their Operation Rushbo attack. Craig Crawford notes the bipartisan nature of these efforts, but misses one important point:

Normally, these attacks get limited to actual election campaigns. When was the last time we saw something like this coordinated out of the West Wing? Especially by a messiah of Hope and Change who specifically promised not to engage in the politics of personal destruction?

Craig’s point on the, er, weightiness of the attack victims is particularly relevant to a certain blogger who could stand to lose a few pounds, too.