As Washington Monthly blogger Steve Benen has noted, several media outlets have ignored or buried the August 25 speech by former Rep. Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican, at the Democratic National Convention in which Leach endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. Indeed, ABC, CBS, and NBC did not air any of Leach's speech, which took place during the networks' hour of live coverage of the convention. Further, MSNBC aired only seconds of the speech while Hardball host Chris Matthews talked over him. Similarly, while Fox News noted Leach was speaking, Special Report host Brit Hume spoke over Leach and also aired only seconds of Leach's speech without interruption.

Additionally, during an August 26 washingtonpost.com discussion, a participant asked Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz why Leach's speech was “buried deep in [staff writer] Jonathan Weisman's [Washington Post] story this morning, without even a sidebar of its own.” Kurtz replied: “Mainly because it wasn't one of the speeches featured on television. Zell Miller was the keynote speaker at the GOP.” Kurtz did not elaborate on his apparent assertion that the Post chose not to give greater attention or prominence to the Leach speech "[m]ainly" because the networks decided not to “feature[]” it.

From the August 26 washingtonpost.com online discussion:

Chesapeake Beach, Md.: It was a big deal four years ago when barely-a-Democrat Zell Miller blasted the Democrats from the podium at the GOP convention. Last night a well-respected Republican -- former Rep. Jim Leach, did a similar (though more soft-spoken) number on the GOP. Why was one notable, and the other buried deep in Jonathan Weisman's story this morning, without even a sidebar of its own?

washingtonpost.com: Obama's Family Night Out (Post, Aug. 26)

Howard Kurtz: Mainly because it wasn't one of the speeches featured on television. Zell Miller was the keynote speaker at the GOP.

From the 10 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC's convention coverage:

MATTHEWS: Former Congressman Jim Leach, Republican of Iowa, is now addressing the Democratic convention. And in few moments, it'll be Michelle Obama's turn. Let's check back in with Norah O'Donnell and the panel. Norah.

O'DONNELL: All right, Chris. Thanks so much. You know, you were talking about the economic disadvantages that Barack Obama, Michelle Obama faced.

From the 10 p.m. ET hour of Fox News' America's Election HQ:

HUME: Down on the convention floor right now, the delegates are hearing a speech by former Iowa Republican Congressman Jim Leach. It'd be nice if we could actually see him.

There you see him, Jim Leach, now. It is well-known that Joe Lieberman, the one-time Democrat, now independent senator from Connecticut, will address the Republican convention.

Well, the Democrats don't have anybody of quite the stature of Joe Lieberman to address this convention, but they got Jim Leach, who is receiving a respectful hearing from the delegates here tonight. He is backing Barack Obama.

But of course, this reception for Jim Leach is as nothing compared to what I think may be the highlight of this night so far, and that was the appearance by Senator Edward Kennedy.

KENNEDY [video clip]: Together we have known success and seen setbacks, victory and defeat, but we have never lost our belief that we are all called to a better country and a newer world. And I pledge to you, I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the [unintelligible]

LEACH: Well, it's the Marshall Plan. And Everett Dirksen backed Lyndon Johnson's landmark civil rights legislation.

HUME: Well, there you have Senator Kennedy tonight. More [unintelligible] you see on the screen, Jim Leach. It was kind of a touching moment earlier. You saw Senator Biden in that applause shot there as he listened to Senator Kennedy.