John Dickerson would like to know what rules Barack Obama is using that allow him to excoriate Countrywide, yet use James Johnson to vet VP candidates. Dickerson wants to find out what standard allows Obama to condemn Washington insiders but call on the ultimate Washington fixer for the most important task to date — finding a running mate. As they say in the lawyer biz, that assumes facts not in evidence.
I think it is fairly clear that the New Politics run only one way. Hillary is in the pocket of lobbyists but Obama’s advisors don’t count because they don’t work for him. John McCain is a “Bush clone” but we are supposed to get away from unhelpful labels (e.g. “liberal”). There should be no guilt by association except when it comes to McCain’s problematic endorsements and Charlie Black. George W. Bush ignores reality but Obama sees no reason to talk to General Petraeus or investigate Iraq for himself. And on it goes.
You’ll search long and hard for a rule which covers all that. Rules are for little people, not the Agent of Change.