Blowhard News Report for Monday.

The McLaughlin Group: Is The Media Smitten With McCain?
Gee, ya think? The McLaughlin Group panel ponders the deep and abiding love the media has for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, affectionately known to him as “his base”.

True love. The press has found it. Smitten by the Republican nominee, John McCain, maverick, here’s a sampling of journalists saluting McCain in their own words in recent days:

Kind of like a Martin Luther [Chris Matthews - Hardball]

A man of unshakable character, willing to stand up for his convictions [R.W. Apple, NY Times]

An affable man of zealous, unbending beliefs [Richard Cohen, The Washington Post]

The hero who still does things his own way [Richard Cohen, The Washington Post]

Rises above the pack-eloquent, as only a prisoner of war can be [David Nyhan, The Boston Globe]

The perfect candidate to deal with what challenges we face as a country. [Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC]

Blunt, unyielding, deploying his principles, what he does do is what he’s always done, play it as straight as possible. [Terry Moran, Nightline]

Wordly-wise and witty, determined to follow the facts to the exclusion of ideology. [Michael Hirsh, Newsweek]

Willing to defy his own party and forge compromise. [Michael Hirsh, Newsweek]

Pragmatic in the service of the national interest, rises to passion when he believes that America’s best values are at stake. [Michael Hirsh, Newsweek]
The maverick candidate still. [Terry Moran, Nightline]

This Week: Gov. Pawlenty Wants To Know When Obama Has Ever Stood Up To His Party
Republicans sure have funny ideas to what does and doesn’t make for a good President. They framed the dry drunk frat boy as the kind of guy you wanted to have a beer with, the guy with nice hair as too effete to be considered–maybe because he cared about those unfortunate souls who couldn’t afford to be a campaign donor, the three time Purple Heart combat veteran as hating the troops and now the man who voted with Bush 95% of the time in 2007 and 100% of the time in 2008 as a “maverick” willing to put country before party. I got an idea: let’s ask the vets if they think McSame is a maverick when it comes to the GI Bill. But Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) on This Week with George Stephanopoulos thinks he’s come up with a great gotcha for Rep. Rahm Emanuel: when has Barack Obama stood up against his party for what’s right for the country?

PAWLENTY: And, actually, John McCain is the one person who says, I’ll stand up and do what’s right for my country even before party. And I’ll challenge you once again. Name me one instance, even one, where Barack Obama has stood up and said, I will take on my party on a matter of principle, on something large…