"Fun" with NYT headlines...(blood pressure warning)

[Cerridwen]

Hoyer Beats Pelosi’s Pick in Race for No. 2 House Post

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 — House Democrats chose Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland as their majority leader today after a bruising fight that cast a cloud over the party’s post-election celebration.(emphasis mine: spin, much?)

Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland walking into the leadership meeting today with Representative Elijah Cummings.

The election of Mr. Hoyer over Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, by a vote of 149 to 86, was an embarrassing setback for Representative Nancy J. Pelosi of California, who will be speaker of the House in the new Congress and had backed Mr. Murtha. link

Now compare the reporting of the decisive vote by the Democrats to:

In Senate Shift, Big Comeback for Trent Lott

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 — In their rehabilitation campaign, Senate Republicans will rely heavily on a man whose recent history is itself a testament to sudden falls, unlikely recoveries and the fickle hands of fortune in American politics.

Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, who went from Senate minority leader to presumptive majority leader to disgrace in a matter of days four years ago, was elected minority whip, the party’s second-ranking Senate leadership position, on Wednesday.

Usually, the choice of a whip, a vital but unglamorous job, would draw little attention. But the election of Mr. Lott offers an unlikely study in professional redemption. (poster's note: and the corporate media's need to paint all things republican as worth note) link

Note that the vote count isn't even mentioned in the repub article. Hmm, maybe because it was a divisive "bruising fight that cast a cloud over the party’s post-election celebration"? Naw, that only happens to Democrats. /sarcasm

Even though I've been watching (and correcting) the bias of corporate media for 2 decades, I'm still disgusted every time I see it.

edit to add: note the differences in the pictures with each story...where's Alexander's sad face?

[Dawgs]

1. You're right, this is disgusting!!!

But, it doesn't make us any less in charge.

:evilgrin:

[Cerridwen]

2. True that..., however, in a nation in which "image is everything,"

this kind of shenanigan negatively influences the perception of those who are less politically literate. It can be politcally damaging to future efforts.

Mostly, it just pisses me off.

[Coexist]

3. how surprising

interesting how things can be spun.

[goclark]

4. We are thankful that Americans were not reading this trash as TRUTH

and we showed it with our votes that were allowed to be counted.

Just think how much we would have gained if our election was really clean/

[Cerridwen]

5. I have hope that it has become so obvious that those who are

less politically inclined will start to see the slant for themselves.

[Greyhound]

6. K & R

[VOX]

7. I'll toss the L.A. Times into the pot, also: Pelosi="arm-twisting," Lott="legislative skills"...

When I read this yesterday, I was fuming at the Times' outrageous use of negative language.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-pelosi17nov17,0,2789425.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Her failed backing of Murtha as majority leader shows she has blind spots , some say. Others call it loyalty.
By Janet Hook and Richard Simon, Times Staff Writers
November 17, 2006

WASHINGTON — Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) was elevated to the pinnacle of congressional power Thursday as fellow Democrats formally made her their choice as the next House speaker. But the same colleagues gave Pelosi a brusque lesson in the limits of her power when they rejected her choice for second in command.

In a battle that many felt Pelosi made unnecessarily bitter, House Democrats turned aside her personal pleas and arm-twisting and elected a Pelosi rival, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), to be House majority leader over Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.).

Hoyer didn't merely defeat Murtha, Pelosi's strong preference, but trounced him in a 149-86 vote as House Democrats met to choose leaders in the wake of a midterm election that gave their party control of the House and Senate for the first time since 1994.

Democrats selected her as their choice for speaker, but she will not assume the post until the new Congress convenes in January and takes a formal vote.

Pelosi's failed effort to anoint her own chief lieutenant fueled doubts among critics about the political skills she brings to leading her fractious party. It also sent a clear signal of what kind of leader she is: an old-style politician who puts a premium on personal loyalty, even at the risk of high-profile defeat.

Still buoyed by their election day victories, some Democrats were left wondering why Pelosi had injected herself into a bitter leadership battle with her last-minute support of Murtha over Hoyer, who had long been on track to claim the No. 2 job.
<snip>
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And for contrast, here's the nice fluff-'n-fold job the L.A. Times gave Trent Lott:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-leader16nov16,1,7003529.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Lott bounces from oblivion to seize Senate power post
A racially insensitive remark led to his fall from grace in 2002.
By Richard Simon, Times Staff Writer
November 16, 2006

WASHINGTON — Even in a city known for career comebacks, it was a remarkable rebound.

Four years after racially insensitive remarks toppled him from one of Capitol Hill's preeminent posts, Republican Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi on Wednesday reclaimed a position of power, winning election as Senate minority whip.

Lott's narrow victory in a vote among his colleagues to be their No. 2 leader was a testament to his undiminished legislative skills — as well as a sign of President Bush's diminished clout after the GOP's loss of its majorities in the Senate and House in last week's midterm election.

"I feel exhilarated," Lott said after his win, adding that he was looking forward to doing "a job that I've always really loved the most — count the votes" as the Senate considers legislation.

Lott has had chilly relations with the White House since he was forced out as the Senate's Republican leader in 2002 after a remark he made praising Strom Thurmond's segregationist 1948 presidential campaign.

The remark set off a national uproar; those rebuking Lott included Bush. And with the president's political team focused on its goal of attracting more black voters to the GOP, the White House's response to the furor helped hasten Lott's fall.

The strained feelings that persist between Lott and the administration took a backseat to other considerations among the 49 Republican senators who cast ballots Wednesday. Several said they voted to return Lott to a leadership position because of his legislative and political skills.
<snip>