AP bias on portrayal of Hillary’s announcement of a pres. run versus Sam Brownback’s

The mediots are in full support mode today after Hillary Clinton’s announcement that she will seek the Democratic nomination for president, on the same day that Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback announced that he would be running. New Mexico gov. Bill Richardson (D) is set to announce his presidential intentions tomorrow.

While I was out earlier this afternoon, I was listening to a local music radio station, and at the top of each hour they broadcast about a 2 or 3 minute segement of AP radio news. I listened as their top of the hour story was on the latest politicians to enter the presidential race. They announced Hillary’s run, while quoting her saying she was “in it to win” and they went on for a few more seconds talking about her announcement. They mentioned Sen. Brownback’s announcement right after and the AP correspondent they went to for more ‘in depth coverage’ said the following (paraphrasing): “He is running and he is a conservative” and the way the correspondent said “conservative” you’d have thought he’d just announced his intentions to join Al Qaeda. My mouth literally dropped open at the overt display of bias.

After hearing that, it was no surprise to come home and see the stories from the AP posted on Hillary’s and Brownback’s respective announcements. Here’s the story they did on Hillary (emphasis added):

NEW YORK – Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton launched a trailblazing campaign for the White House on Saturday, a former first lady turned political powerhouse intent on becoming the first female president. “I’m in, and I’m in to win,” she said.

In a videotaped message posted on her Web site, Clinton said she was eager to start a dialogue with voters about challenges she hoped to tackle as president β€” affordable health care, deficit reduction and bringing the “right” end to the Iraq war.

“I’m not just starting a campaign, though, I’m beginning a conversation with you, with America,” she said. “Let’s talk. Let’s chat. The conversation in Washington has been just a little one-sided lately, don’t you think?”

Clinton’s announcement, while widely anticipated, was nonetheless historic in a fast-developing campaign that has already seen the emergence of a formidable black contender, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) of Illinois.

In an instant, Clinton became the most credible female candidate ever to seek the presidency and the first presidential spouse to attempt to return to the White House in her own right. Her husband, Bill, served two terms as president from 1993 to 2001.

“I am one of the millions of women who have waited all their lives to see the first woman sworn in as president of the United States β€” and now we have our best opportunity to see that dream fulfilled,” said Ellen Malcolm, president of EMILY’s list, which raises money for Democratic women who run for office.

With her immense star power, vast network of supporters and donors and seasoned team of political advisers, the 59-year-old Clinton long has topped every national poll of potential Democratic contenders.

Positively glowing, and no mention of her being a liberal and taking very liberal positions on the issues.

On the other hand here’s how they portrayed Senator Brownback’s announcement (emphasis added):

TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) jumped into the 2008 presidential race Saturday, a favorite of the religious right now in an uphill battle against better known rivals for the GOP nomination.

“I am a conservative and I’m proud of being a conservative,” he proclaimed.

“My family and I are taking the first steps on the yellow brick road to the White House. It’s a great journey,” the two-term senator told hundreds of supporters. He pledged to fight on behalf of the nation’s cultural values and to focus on rebuilding families.

The 50-year-old Brownback offers himself as a “full-scale Ronald Reagan conservative.”

After Saturday’s speech, he told reporters: “My positions are at the heart of where the Republican Party is. I’m willing to take those positions with all comers.”

[…]

The Democratic National Committee issued a statement calling Brownback “a stubborn ideologue who places his own political agenda over the needs of the American people.”

While Brownback touched on a wide variety of issues, he laced his speech with the themes that have made him a leader of GOP conservatives and a strong spokesman in Congress for socially conservative Christians.

“He has a consistency that others don’t seem to have,” said Hollie Cook, a 30-year-old mother of three from Walkerton, Ind., a Brownback supporter who was traveling with her family to Texas and decided to stop for Saturday’s event.

A fierce foe of abortion, Brownback planned to return to Washington to participate in an anti-abortion rally Monday marking the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that established a nationwide right to the procedure. Brownback also opposes embryonic stem-cell research and gay marriage

The message is clear: run for your lives! A “favorite” of the “religious right” who is a “foe of abortion” and who opposes embryonic stem-cell research and gay marriage is running for president!

Could they possibly be any more obvious?

Make no mistake about it – the media carried the water for Kerry in 2004, and they will do it again with whoever the eventual Dem 08 nominee is, and along the way, they’ll make sure to let you know who their favorites are.

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