During a discussion of comments by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) to The New York Observer about Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley said of Biden on the January 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball: “I think he's getting, more or less, a pass from the mainstream media on this.” Blankley also said that "[i]f a conservative Republican had said this, I think the media would've jumped down his throat." But even before Blankey made his comments, MSNBC itself had extensively been covering Biden's gaffe; and, at the time of Blankley's comments, the networks had yet to broadcast the nightly news and the major daily newspapers had not had a chance to report on the story in print, as it had broken only that morning.

MSNBC covered Biden's controversial remarks beginning at 1 p.m. ET on MSNBC News Live, when chief Washington correspondent Norah O'Donnell characterized his comments as “surprising” and “what some would call racy quotes.” Biden's comments were also covered during subsequent editions of MSNBC News Live at 2 and 3 p.m. ET, in addition to the discussion on Hardball.

Shortly after Blankley made his assertion, all three major network news broadcasts reported Biden's remarks. NBC's Nightly News started its broadcast with the comments, featuring them as its top story. Anchor Brian Williams reported: “Presidential candidate Joe Biden speaking his mind on his Democratic rivals, including Barack Obama, and many Democrats say putting his foot in his mouth.” On the CBS Evening News, CBS News national political correspondent Gloria Borger reported on the comments, saying that "[s]ome people listening to those descriptions of Obama -- 'articulate, clean' -- heard racial overtones or, at the very least, condescension." ABC's World News included a report on the incident by senior national correspondent Jake Tapper.

The New York Times ran a front-page story in its February 1 edition called "Biden Unwraps '08 Bid With an Oops!":

The Washington Post placed a photo of Biden below the fold on the cover of its February 1 edition, which referred to a story on page A6 headlined "Biden Stumbles at the Starting Gate":

Also, USA Today published an article headlined "Biden burned by 'clean' language," which was teased on the front page of its print edition:

Another front-page version of USA Today's February 1 edition provided by the Press Display website did not display the Biden gaffe.

The incident was also covered as a top story on the three major networks' morning programs on February 1, including ABC's Good Morning America, which included another report by Tapper and a segment with ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos, who said that, for people who did not know Biden, this was “not going to be a great first impression.” On NBC's Today, co-host Meredith Vieira called Biden “Senator Sorry” and referred to his “controversial comments,” while O'Donnell gave a report on the incident. CBS' The Early Show anchor Harry Smith called it the “Biden blunder” and referred to Biden's remarks as “controversial comments.”

Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz noted the extensive media coverage of Biden's gaffe in his February 1 Media Notes column.

From the January 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

BLANKLEY: Let me make a quick conservative point on this.

MATTHEWS: Sure.

BLANKLEY: If a conservative Republican had said this, I think the media would've jumped down his throat.

The media is not jumping down Biden's throat. I think he's getting, more or less, a pass from the mainstream media on this. I think he should get a pass, but I think others should get a pass, too, when they stumble.

BARNICLE: Well, he just --

MATTHEWS: You got a lot into that, didn't you -- into that just then?