First, a portion of the media, as well as the Obama campaign itself, supports the idea that campaigning should come before the two Presidential candidates’ duties as United States Senators.
For example:
Even as McCain said he was putting the good of the country ahead of politics, his surprise announcement was clearly political. It was an attempt to try to outmaneuver Obama on an issue in which he’s trailing, the economy, as the Democrat gains in polls. He quickly went before TV cameras minutes after speaking with Obama and before the two campaigns had hammered out a joint statement expressing that Congress should act urgently on the bailout.
On the same day, a report comes in about “who’s running Alaska” while Sarah Palin is campaigning as the Vice Presidential Candidate.
Stating Who’s running Alaska while Palin is on the stump:
The presidential race has kept Palin out of Alaska for all but three days since Sen. John McCain announced on Aug. 29 that he had chosen her as his running mate. This week, Palin was in New York for her first-ever meetings with world leaders, a trip to the World Trade Center site and an interview with CBS’ Katie Couric.
In Palin’s absence, messages left with the governor’s office are usually returned by the McCain campaign. A recent request for information was answered by a governor’s spokesman with a sad smile and a shake of the head.
Even a message left on the cell phone of a hometown friend of Palin was returned by a McCain campaign staffer. The friend agreed to be interviewed by a reporter only after she was reassured the campaign had given its approval.
Such actions, not unusual when a governor runs for national office, have prompted questions in close-knit Alaska about whether Palin has abdicated too much of her role. The Anchorage Daily News asked in an editorial, “Is it too much to ask that Alaska’s governor speak for herself, directly to Alaskans, about her actions as Alaska’s governor?”
Magnolia Tribune
