Bias Watch: Tennessean's Debate Spin
The Tennessean, trying hard to obscure the very real differences between Van Hilleary and Phil Bredesen on taxes, says today that the candidates in their televised debate last night differed only "subtly" on the state's need for more revenue. But nothing in the paper's story on the debate indicates a "subtle" difference. Hilleary is against the income tax forever; Bredesen is not. Hilleary favors rolling back the 1-cent sales tax increase the Legislature just passed; Bredesen does not.

Bredesen left the door WIDE open to an income tax after 2006. Hilleary slammed it shut, locked it, nailed it shut, put a chain around it, padlocked it, and welded the padlock. Advantage: Hilleary.