Clinton on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The alternative explanation is that both Clinton and Obama behaved unprofessionally and got called on it. Both succumbed to a very human error -- falling victim to pride -- but they did so in a very public manner. Democrats are not alone in flubbing it in such unfortunate ways. But it's not typical for NBC reporters to defend a Republican the way they'll defend Hillary Clinton or the president, even weeks later.

Things were not the same for another live-wire female politician. On NBC's sister network, during the presidential campaign, Newsweek's Howard Fineman declared: "Sarah Palin makes Barack Obama look like John Adams. I mean, it's just, it's no contest." Also during the campaign, NBC's Chris Matthews declared: "The fact of the matter is, the comparison between (Sarah Palin) and Hillary Clinton is the comparison between an igloo and the Empire State Building!" And just this month Matthews led a conversation on whether or not it was racist for Palin to raise concerns about health-care reform and end-of-life issues.

But that's nowhere near the most biased media coverage of the former governor of Alaska: An otherwise well-respected magazine has allowed a prominent writer on its Web site to regularly question whether her youngest child is actually hers. So Palin obviously knows by now what the uneven playing field looks like in politics. I've even seen MSNBC commentary on Palin's daughter's rhetoric. So Hillary Clinton gets a pass but Bristol Palin doesn't?

Outbursts have consequences. There will be tabloid coverage, and there should be criticism. But then we all move on and maybe spare a prayer for people who serve. It's hard to exist in the spotlight.