oh that "liberal media"

White House: Tuesday's GOP wins not about Obama

WASHINGTON – The White House says that Republican wins in two governors' races were not referendums on the president.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that voters went to the polls in Virginia and New Jersey to work through "very local issues that didn't involve the president." The presidential spokesman said voters were concerned about the economy.

"I don't think the president needed an election or an exit poll to come to that conclusion," Gibbs said.

By contrast, Gibbs acknowledged that the 2010 midterm congressional elections will be more about the Obama agenda.

Republicans turned aside Democratic candidates in both Virginia and New Jersey, raising questions about the limits of the president's influence on his party's base of support and on the moderate lawmakers he needs to advance his legislative priorities.

Gibbs noted that Democrats did win two special elections for congressional seats, in California and New York.

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Isn't it "funny" that two losses take up the first 5 paragraphs and the 6th paragraph very offhandly mentions (via Gibbs) that the Dems won the two most hottly contested elections in the country - including the NY 23rd that has been the big media story up until now, when suddenly it is no longer interesting because a Dem won - for the first time in a century.

I thought maybe the extreme conservatism of the media was strictly due to bush and his fear-mongering (no journalist wanted to be labeled a terrorist sympathizer!), but even with a confirmed moderate like Obama in the White House, we can't even get a reasonable balance to the reporting.

More from Think Progress:

In New York’s 23rd congressional district, Bill Owens scored a historic victory by becoming the first Democrat to carry the district since the mid-19th century. In California, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, who “never retreated from his support of progressive policies” during the campaign, easily won a special election.

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And, a good reason why the Dem lost in Virginia, also from Think Progress:

Creigh Deeds Failed To Run As A Progressive

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