Occasionally, Maya Brachear actually writes about religion as the Chicago Tribune’s Religion Reporter. Many of her columns are tolerable enough as sort of statistical analysis and trendwatch for a secular newspaper.

However, in her blog post yesterday she veered into journalistic trick/rant more suited to her rival at the Sun-Times than someone who observes and analyzes religion, rather than practicing partisan politics. Maya tells us (accurately):

Then Brachear questions:

Sort of like asking, “Sen. McCain when did you quit beating your wife”, isn’t it? The very nature of bringing up the subject by a reporter from the largest newspaper in the Midwest gives some credibility to the nonsensical comparison between Rev. Hagee and Rev. Wright.

Rev. Hagee is one of many people to endorse Sen. McCain. None of the candidates are responsible for the actions of the people who endorse them. What makes this complex? Nothing, except a media strategy of obscuring the field so that Sen. Obama gets a free pass for supporting Rev. Wright for the past 20 years.

So to flog this once more for Maya Brachear (and Frank Rich in the New York Times):

1) Sen. Obama is a 20 year member of Trinity United Church of Christ, where Rev. Wright was pastor. Sen McCain is not a member of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, where Rev. Hagee is the pastor.
2) Sen. Obama lives aproximately two miles north of of Trinity United Church of Christ. Sen. McCain lives approximately 1000 miles west of the Cornerstone Church.
3) Sen. Obama donated at least $20,000 to the Trinity United Church of Christ. Sen. McCain did not donate to the Cornerstone Church.
4) Sen. Obama married his wife Michelle in a ceremony led by Rev. Wright. Neither of Sen. McCain’s marriages were performed by Rev. Hagee
5) Sen. Obama’s daughters were baptized by Rev. Wright. None of Sen. McCains’s children were baptized by Rev. Hagee.
6) Sen. Obama has referred to Rev. Wright as his spiritual guide. Sen. McCain has not mentioned the identity of his spiritual guide.
7) Sen. Obama stated the impossibility of denying his relationship with Rev. Wright. Two weeks later Sen. Obama ended his relationship with Rev. Wright. Sen. McCain could not match that.
8) Rev. Wright kept up his media campaign of controversial rhetoric in the name of religion.
9) Rev. Hagee ceased his controversial preaching, and apologized to one of the stalwarts of the Catholic Civil Rights Movement, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League.
10) Rev. Wright shows no signs of apologizing.

It is possible to report on religion without becoming part of a partisan campaign for one candidate or another. The blatant disregard of the differences between Revs. Wright and Hagee fits right in with the lack of integrity in the Chicago Media in reporting this year’s election.