While media bias, of late, has been writ large in the nakedly partisan witch-hunt against Sarah Palin (who may, I have no doubt, soon be accused of actually BEING a witch by the New York Times–on the basis of unnamed sources in Alaska), one can’t help but notice the intense nastiness that creeps into reporters’ language even when they attempt to report the straight news.

Consider the following sentence written by the estimable AP hatchet-man Gene Johnson in his article Alaska lawmakers vote to subpoena Todd Palin.

“Palin, cast at last week’s Republican National Convention as a supportive husband, oil rig worker and championship snowmachine racer, has emerged in the days since as also a powerful figure in his wife’s administration.”

Isn’t that charming? Mr. Palin was “cast,” among other things, as a “supportive husband” to his wife.

Something we should doubt apparently, since candidates’ husbands and wives are usually “cast”–especially at a political convention–as being hostile and suspicious towards their candidate spouses. Almost as if they were AP reporters instead of joined in holy matrimony with the person running for office.

One almost starts to wonder if Todd Palin is actually Sarah Palin’s husband at all–couldn’t he be a B-actor hired by Karl Rove to play the part of a Republican candidate’s supportive spouse? Do Republicans actually have supportive spouses? Are they even capable of love? These are questions Gene Johnson invites his adoring readers to ask.

To approach this differently, could you imagine–can you even imagine–what holy hell would be raised if the AP dared to smuggle into an article the casual suggestion that Michelle Obama has “been cast by the Democrats as a supportive wife?”

It is not even imaginable. But thus is the casual and insidious bias against all Republicans and their families that cannot be prevented from creeping into any story written by members of our elite media.

The partisan Democratic hack, Gene Johnson, cast as a reporter by the AP is only the latest example of this disturbing trend.