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The bias begins right at the top: Gwen Ifill's second question to Ned Lamont on yesterday's Lehrer Newshour reads: "So what did last night's victory tell you about what voters in Connecticut want?" The presumption that liberal Democrats (a.k.a. voters) speak for everybody is not one a publicly supported journalist should be sharing.

In the Washington Post's letters section today, the single letter about Lieberman-Lamont trashes Lieberman for his "super-sized ego" and reminds him that "Connecticut voters rejected him." Again, not liberal/Democratic primary voters, but (all) Connecticut voters.

Ifill's interviews with Lamont and then Lieberman had their uses, though. The contrast between the elated Lamont and the deflated Lieberman was striking, suggesting Lieberman will have to summon some new fire and energy if his second-half comeback is to be more than half-time wishful thinking.

Ifill did do Lieberman one service -- her program ran the clip of the famous kiss Joe received from President Bush at a State of the Union. What's unmistakably clear from it is that Bush was the instigator, coming over and planting the kiss before Joe could even react (much like the quick shoulder squeeze Bush performed on Angela Markel). It used to be that liberals didn't blame the victim in such circumstances. But now they're for all intents saying that Lieberman was asking for it.

In a larger sense, that's why he's still running -- losing in a fair fight is one thing; losing in a smear quite another.

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