Sen. John McCain joined his running mate for her follow-up interview with Katie Couric after a previous interview became fuel for satire and attacks from the media.

When Sarah Palin was confronted with one of her own quotes from the weekend that sided with Barack Obama and went against McCain's public stance, Palin struggled through a reply. But not long after, the Republican presidential nominee came to her aid, calling out Katie Couric for "gotcha journalism."

McCain claimed the quote was taken out of context. "This was a gotcha soundbite," he said.

"Gotcha" journalism is one of the things people love to hate about the media. Everybody slips up sometimes, sure. And to call someone out for a simple mistake is despicable, people argue.

It's an easy thing to criticize.

But take, at the simplest level, comedy. The Daily Show has some of the best researchers on its staff. It seems that team can dig up the dirt on anyone. But Jon Stewart is rarely criticized for "gotcha" journalism. Why? Because it's comedy. "It doesn't have an impact."

But what about in this case?

Gov. Palin was out on the campaign trail, schmoozing it up at a pizza parlor and answering questions from voters. A voter asked how she would deal with Pakistan. Palin said she would launch cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan, if need be, according to CNN.

Quote Couric: "Now that's almost the exact position Barack Obama has taken, and that you, Sen. McCain, have criticized as something you do not say out loud. Gov. Palin, are you two on the same page?"

Gotcha.

Sometimes quotes are taken out of context decades after they were spoken, even after their speaker has apologized and moved on. And sometimes, quotes are taken from a public event whose exact purpose is to get voters to be supporters.

I won't say McCain was wrong to cut off his running mate and criticize Couric. I won't say Couric had the right, nay, the responsibility to call out Palin for having public comments different from McCain. After all, it's in the past.

And that would be "gotcha."