I'm sure it was just a coincidence, but the way the Las Vegas Sun played the news of the day on Sunday demands at least one eyebrow raising mention.

The lead story of the day in the ever-shrinking Sun world was a long and flattering (what else in the Sun?) think piece on how Harry Reid pushed through health care "reform" in America.

The headlines say it all:

"Deal-maker Reid's quiet persistence"

... "Nevada's senior senator never wavered in his mission to push Obama's agenda of reform"

... "Reid took heat from liberals, moderates"

... "Leader's style frustrated fellow Democrats, who eventually came to value his self-effacing manner"

... "When Reid unveiled his bill in late October, he immediately transformed himself in the eyes of the liberal left from untrustworthy leader to hero"

... "His decency comes out"

... With Republican unflinchingly opposed to reform, Reid kept the process going and provided steady leadership until the end."

In the meanwhile, there was this little Tea Party thingy in Searchlight breaking news perfectly for the Sun's deadlines. That real news story, however, was pushed down page to make room for the "top" story of the day -- this retrospective on the incredible and amazing Mr. Reid.

Like I say, it's probably just a coincidence. My only caution is that the editors and columnists at the Sun only have 10 pages each Sunday in which to give HR in-kind political advertising between now and November. Is it enough?

One more point: The Sun's journalistically strange lead story on Reid garnered 92 comments from readers as of 8 p.m. Sunday. Take a look at the R-J's story on the Searchlight Tea Party rally. Note the number of comments from readers there. I'm not sayin' ... I'm just sayin'.