"There are a couple of things the campaign is pointing out." I'd like to hear that phrase more.

[DeepModem Mom]

Just noted in passing by the TV screen, and coverage of the West Virginia primary, a reporter using that phrase. I've noticed more and more references to political info being reported, without sourcing it as spin, from both campaigns (and, counting McCain's, a third campaign). It seems like a small thing, but I'd like to know if a reporter is getting his info straight from a campaign press release, or the daily campaign conference call, or Blackberried from the campaign to him or her.

Especially on cable's 24-hour coverage, a lot of verbiage is required. It would be helpful to know if the verbiage is the reporter-commentator's own, maybe after some actual reporting, and even some thought -- or if we're being fed straight spin.

As I type -- bless Olbermann -- he has just said on MSNBC that an e-mail was just received, from the Obama campaign, saying that Clinton must win 80 to 90% of the vote in West Virginia to meet expectations. I'm not saying anything about what the e-mail said, don't want to discuss it; I'm just saying it's valuable to know that that spin came straight from one of the campaigns and is not presented by MSNBC as political fact/conventional wisdom without sourcing it.

From my poking around in the news each day, I'm pretty sure that all these campaigns feed info to the press, from your usual spin to down-and-dirty oppo research. All of them. The stakes are high in this game, and it's not for the faint of heart or the very highly-principled.

And it's nice to know when we're being spun, by the campaigns, through the press.