PROF. JACOBSON ON THE POLITICO CAIN HIT:

The story was a legitimate issue for a presidential candidate; we only wish the mainstream media would investigate Obama’s past with half as much enthusiasm.

But there’s a bigger point here, visible only from 35,000 feet.

This is a taste of the medicine the mainstream media, which includes Politico as I have pointed out before, has in store for the eventual Republican nominee.

Whatever the source of the tip, the presentation was rolled out by Politico in a fashion to do maximum damage to Cain. The Sunday release was timed to be all over the media on Monday morning. Jonathan Martin, the lead reporter on the story for Politico, even conducted an ambush interview with Cain shortly after the story broke, receiving a muddled response from Cain.

Yeah, it’s pretty clear what was going on here. It’s true it was pretty much a failure — see Pro Publica’s takedown, even — but let me repeat my question: Would Jonathan Martin, Maggie Haberman, Anna Palmer and Kenneth Vogel have put their names on a similar piece, with no named sources, aimed at Barack Obama? Would Politico have run it? I think we know the answer.

Meanwhile, Roxeanne De Luca has a question for feminists.

Plus, a look back at Politico’s involvement with the Journolist story-coordination scandal.