AP Ignores Spitzer's Democratic Party Affiliation

Update (16:50 EDT): Clay Waters of MRC's TimesWatch informs me the 3rd paragraph reference in a NYT article to Spitzer's Democratic Party affiliation has been removed. Only an oblique reference to his party remains in the 15th paragraph, notes Waters.

It's the first major political sex scandal of 2008 (aside from Detroit's Kwame Kilpatrick) and it involves a Democrat. So of course the Associated Press failed to note Gov. Eliot Spitzer's (D-NY) party affiliation. Via the LATimes.com Web site, published at 2:28 p.m. EDT:

The New York Times is reporting that Gov. Eliot Spitzer has told senior advisers that he had been involved in a prostitution ring.

On its Web site, the newspaper cites an anonymous administration official as the source and says Spitzer was meeting with his top aides.

Spitzer officials wouldn't immediately comment on the story to The Associated Press. An announcement was scheduled for 2:15 p.m. at his Manhattan office.

The New York Times has more here, and that paper notes Spitzer's party affiliation in the third graf:

Mr. Spitzer, a first term Democrat who pledged to bring ethics reform an end the often seamy ways of Albany, is married with three children.

Update (14:54 EDT): A review of the Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN Web sites shows only Fox noting Spitzer's Democratic party affiliation in teaser headline content appearing on the front page. MSNBC.com and CNN.com also give the Spitzer story prominent play on their Web pages, but his party affiliation is not listed on the front page itself. Screencaps to follow.