In his column in Sunday’s New York Times, Frank Rich brings up the great Pastor Hagee/Rev. Wright paradox. He stops short of directly stating that racism (and, I think, homophobia) is to blame for the fact that Rev. Wright is such a major campaign issue and the mass media has accepted McCain’s rejection of the gay-hating Hagee’s more hateful, delusional, and insane ravings at face value. However, he does identify the rather obvious double standard that most people in charge of the political news cycle refuse to see.

McCain says he does not endorse any of Mr. Hagee’s calumnies, any more than Barack Obama endorses Mr. Wright’s. But those who try to give Mr. McCain a pass for his embrace of a problematic preacher have a thin case. It boils down to this: Mr. McCain was not a parishioner for 20 years at Mr. Hagee’s church.

That defense implies, incorrectly, that Mr. McCain was a passive recipient of this bigot’s endorsement. In fact, by his own account, Mr. McCain sought out Mr. Hagee, who is perhaps best known for trying to drum up a pre-emptive “holy war” with Iran. (This preacher’s rantings may tell us more about Mr. McCain’s policy views than Mr. Wright’s tell us about Mr. Obama’s.)

…It is disingenuous to pretend that there isn’t a double standard operating here. If we’re to judge black candidates on their most controversial associates — and how quickly, sternly and completely they disown them — we must judge white politicians by the same yardstick.