This has apparently become an even bigger media issue than it was just a few days ago.
That liberal media.
How do these hot issues bubble up to the forefront? Atrios offers a a typical flow chart:
Local News –> Free Republic –> Drudge –> Talk Radio –> Some Wingnut Congressperson/State Legislator –> Fox News –> Lou Dobbs/Scarborough/etc… –> Another round on local news –> CNN –> mainstream print media. [order can vary slightly].
I haven’t done any scientific research on this, but I’d guess the length of the above cycle has been reduced by at least 1/3 over the last three or four years.