I am very happy this morning to see the results of the latest Quinnipiac poll on the Democratic Senate primary race.  Greenwich millionaire businessman Ned Lamont has decisively pulled ahead of veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman.  As is my usual habit on hearing this kind of news, I wallowed in the glow of the wire reports.  

But something struck me as not quite right.  There seemed to be a strange anti-Lamont feel to the articles.

From the New York Times:

Facing his first serious challenge in 18 years as a senator, Mr. Lieberman has sought to brand Mr. Lamont as a wealthy dilettante who is trying to buy his way into office, and who is out of touch with ordinary Americans. One of Mr. Lieberman's first advertisements began: "Meet Ned Lamont. He's a Greenwich millionaire."

It seems that the Lieberman's latest desperate strategy is to dismiss Ned as a "millionaire."  And I understand why, I mean could anyone imagine a millionaire being elected to the US Senate?

All these stories are a covering new Quinnipiac poll.  Note the straight up descriptive intro's to the two candidates:

Momentum for Ned Lamont, the anti-war Connecticut U.S. Senate candidate, increases as he rolls to a 54 - 41 percent lead over incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

That seems pretty fair.  Ned is an anti-war US Senate candidate, and Joe is an incumbent.  

But this is how the poll is being reported in the "mainstream" media:

Hartford Courant: "Millionaire businessman Ned Lamont, a political novice fueled by deep pockets and voters' outrage over the Iraq war, has extended his lead over veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman less than a week before Connecticut's Democratic primary, according to a new poll released Thursday."

CNN, via AP: "Millionaire businessman Ned Lamont opened a double-digit lead over veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman less than a week before Connecticut's Democratic primary, according to a poll released Thursday."

MSNBC, via same:  "Millionaire businessman Ned Lamont opened a double-digit lead over veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman less than a week before Connecticut's Democratic primary, according to a poll released Thursday."

It seems that Joe's anti-Ned ad campaign was quite successful in defining who Ned Lamont is.  I think that I would rather vote for a veteran than a millionaire businessman.  

UPDATE.. Maybe my whining about this on Kos has had an effect.  Hartford Courant has updated their article:  "Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, a political novice fueled by deep pockets and voters' outrage over the Iraq war, has extended his lead over veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman less than a week before Connecticut's Democratic primary, according to a new poll released Thursday."