After year of reporting on Dean, Mara Liasson has been switched to Edwards

[AP]

Liasson has been covering Dean and Dean events for a year. Her coverage has always been, in essence, the equivalent of a commerical -- ie, it was affirming Dean's message. She was the first person I heard to sell Dean as an anti-war candidate, which was the persona which raised 40 million dollars (and which Dean has now denied).

Today it sounds like she has switched to following Edwards. (They have a reporter assigned to each campaign.) Howard Smith was at the Dean event.

I think this a very revealing switch. I wonder if it's permanent. I highly doubt she'll be promoting Edwards.

Her story is a mix of sort of negative and sort of narrow, but not so much so that I can persuasively call her on blowing smoke.

She called Edwards a "relative novice." She raised expectations, saying he'll do well tomorrow (most polls have him in 3rd or 4th). She said that "every candidate has an argument for why he will match up well against Bush." And that Edwards's is "regional" -- "roots and accent."

That ain't the only reason, Mara. You'll see.

[jean]

1. did this report cover his bowling event?

I heard the end of it.

A local bowling league was very ticked Edwards was there, infringing on their playtime. He did not even bowl - just gave his stump speech and kept it short.

Later on, they ran into one of those bowlers whose comments had to be bleeped for swearing, saying Edwards lost votes with that appearance.

[AP]

2. Edwards didn't advertise that event. It was supposed to be for 40 people.

Word got out, and 400 showed up.

(That's according to someone who was there who posted at the Edwards blog.)

It's interesting that NPR went for the negative angle.

[AP]

3. I'm listening to this now. It's really nasty. I watched the same event on

CSPAN, and got a very different impression. NPR is really doing its best to hurt Edwards with this story!

They made this into a story which supposed to make Edwards sound like he really doesn't help working class people because he interfered with their bowling games, as if Bush would be the best president in the world if he lowered your wages, and destroyed your economic opportunities, but just didn't interfere with your bowling game.

Stupid.

And his is what I mean when I say NPR never reports anything about Dean in a way in which you'd think Dean would need to spend money to correct the impression NPR created.

This NPR report was meant to create the exact opposite impression that Edwards's campaign is trying to show people.