Evan Thomas' opinion reported as fact

The Media Research Center(claiming to be "tracking liberal media bias since 1996")
gets some recognition from among others the National Review Online's The Corner. There Tim Graham claim that this statement proves a liberal media bias:

The media “wants Kerry to win” and so “they’re going to portray Kerry and Edwards as being young and dynamic and optimistic” and “there’s going to be this glow about” them, Evan Thomas, the Assistant Managing Editor of Newsweek, admitted on Inside Washington over the weekend.

Later, however, the article provides the whole quote:

“There’s one other base here: the media. Let’s talk a little media bias here. The media, I think, wants Kerry to win. And I think they’re going to portray Kerry and Edwards -- I’m talking about the establishment media, not Fox, but -- they’re going to portray Kerry and Edwards as being young and dynamic and optimistic and all, there’s going to be this glow about them that some, is going to be worth, collectively, the two of them, that’s going to be worth maybe 15 points.”

This is the guy's opinion. Evan Thomas is not stating a fact the media is biased. It's an opinion, just like this statement he made on the same show earlier this year:

“I think Al-Qaeda has done us a favor by blowing up government buildings because it pushes the Saudi government to our side.”

You can debate the merits of that statement on your own.

Also if I may point out, that 15 point claim is one made by the Matthew Dowd, Mr. Bush's chief campaign strategist. I ignored the comment when it first came out, hoping it would not become what it has: an unreasonably high bar that can now be used to say the Kerry bounce is less than expected or otherwise flat.

Please not that article puts the "dead cat bounce" at around 4.3% in the two and 3.6% three way race, which I would say in the polarized world of politics this year, is actually pretty darn good.

It would seem these statements by Rasumussen Reports (which shows a 5 point swing for Kerry in their three day tracking poll since the Edwards announcement) should be heeded by all:

As a practical matter, there are not likely to be big bounces this year--even following the conventions. Four factors combine to reduce the potential for frivolous bounces in the polls.

First, more money has already been spent on advertising before the conventions than ever before. Second, the country is polarized in their opinions about George W. Bush. Third, the convention television coverage and audience will be smaller than ever. Fourth, the reality of what happens with Iraq and the U.S. economy dwarfs any campaign tactics in terms of electoral impact.