According to researchers from the liberal press monitoring group, Media Matters for America, presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain is being coddled by the Washington press corps while his Democratic rivals are scrutinized to a fare-thee-well. Their new book, Mc Cain's Free Ride offers detailed evidence arguing that for years, journalists uncritically burnished McCain's image as a "straight-talking" "maverick" leader, despite the fact that his voting record consistently supports the Bush administration.

Among the specific charges:

• While McCain has touted his independence from lobbyists, authors David Brock and Paul Waldman say his campaign "has more current and former lobbyists working on his
  campaign staff than any other candidate in the 2008 presidential election."
• Ever since the 2000 campaign, the national press corps has played down stories reported by Arizona journalists that depict McCain as "short tempered, foul mouthed, bullying, and
  unscrupulous"
• Contrary to press reports about how he fights for what he believes in, McCain changed his position on immigration to appease conservative critics. (.pdf)

Predictably, there's widespread agreement with Media Matters' critique in the blogosphere, especially from Democratic-leaning bloggers. I tried to find responses to the book from McCain supporters and was unsuccessful. 

Back in March, Firedoglake's Jane Hamscher gave the book a ringing endorsement, saying, "If you read one book this election season, as the saying goes, this should be it." Faith at Sen. John Kerry's blog, Kerryvision, rapped McCain's assertions that he had tried to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, despite having voted against relief measures there.

Prominent political reporters such as Tim Russert and Chris Matthews say that while it's true that Mc Cain hasn't been as closely followed by the national press as his Democratic rivals, that will change once the election campaign begins in earnest:

Indeed, weekly content analyses by the Project for Excellence in Journalism show that the press is far more focused on Sens. Obama and Clinton than on McCain.

Columnist Anne Hart says it's time for McCain's free ride to end:

Instead of praising McCain as a reformer, it's time for reporters to give us an accurate portrait of McCain.

Ask, for example, how the U.S. Iraq policy will look any different under this "reformer" than under George W. Bush?

Ask how a so-called moderate can support tax cuts that benefit the wealthy when the middle-class is being so severely squeezed?

Ask about McCain's connections with lobbyists.

Ask how McCain
can get away with declining to release his wealthy wife's tax returns
when his Democratic opponents have released jointly filed tax records
going back a minimum of seven years?

Steve Benen is skeptical that the press' tune will change even after the Democratic nominating process is over:

It’s one of the more frustrating side losses of the prolonged
Democratic fight — the media allows the Clinton-Obama confrontation to
suck up all the oxygen, leaving McCain to screw up with impunity.

Though, I have a sinking suspicion that once the Democratic race
officially, news outlets will find some other excuse to give McCain a
pass.

One the other hand, Holly Yeager cites recent stories on Mc Cain's relationships with lobbyists and his discounted flights in a jet owned by his wife's company as signs that press coverage of McCain is getting tougher.

What do you think? Is John McCain getting a free ride? If so, what would you like the press to report on about him that isn't being covered?