Mark Halperin undermines his own "liberal media" claims

Time's Mark Halperin frequently repeats right-wing myths about the "liberal media." But today he undermined his already-weak case by arguing that one reason "to bet AGAINST major health care reform passing this year" is that "Most journalists still have health insurance."

The clear implication is that because most journalists have health insurance, they don't see the need for reform -- and that colors their reporting.

Sounds pretty reasonable.

Now, when do you think Halperin will consider other, similarly reasonable things?  Like the fact that all working journalists have jobs, which -- by Halperin's logic -- colors their coverage of policies meant to help the unemployed.  Or the fact that few national political reporters earn the minimum wage -- and, indeed, those like Mark Halperin make considerably more than the average worker, which likely colors their coverage of minimum wage proposals and tax policy.  And so on.

(Another of Halperin's reasons to bet against reform is "1/6 of the economy can't be remade without genuine bipartisan support."  But polling shows that roughly 80 percent of Americans support health care reform that includes a public plan.  There is "genuine bipartisan support" for real reform -- in America, if not in Washington, DC.  Halperin makes the mistake journalists often make: thinking the likes of Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich and congressional Republicans are even remotely representative of Americans.)