Whale away...whale away...whale away...

"Listen, I am anxious to talk about my record as governor," (Mark) Warner said. "Some of these national folks coming in with these attacks — it's classic Washington. An hour into the campaign and they're already whaling away."

Shouldn't that be "wailing away" as in "to pummel as with hands, fists, or words" ?

You gotta jump, jive, and then you wail away!