Star Tribune doesn't "love a winner"?

How come the Star Tribune's story yesterday, headlined "Some Democrats remain silent on Ellison" didn't actually get around to quoting any Democrats until 200 words in? Before a Dem gets to speak, the piece quotes two Republicans and mentions Ellison's religion, race, and Louis Farrakhan.

Written by McClatchy Washington bureau reporter Kevin Diaz, the story begins "Usually, everybody loves a winner," but offers little backup of the claim that Democrats don't support CD5 Democratic candidate Keith Ellison. Retiring Rep. Martin Sabo, Diaz mentions, remained silent on Ellison--not surprising since he was Erlandson's boss and endorsed his longtime friend in the race.

The piece then quotes GOP chair Ron Carey, who, in reference to Ellison's past affiliation to Farrakhan's Nation of Islam says "This ain't your daddy's DFL." Then, a graf dedicated to another Republican:

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who is Jewish, said Ellison "clearly brings a troubled background" to the race and that "voters will have to judge that."It's not old stuff -- - it is who Mr. Ellison has been," said Coleman. "And I think folks in the Jewish community are going to have to look closely at that, with his associations with Farrakhan. The DFL is going to choose their candidate. But the people of Minneapolis, I hope in the end that they simply don't pull a lever because they're born and raised in a single-party."

The second half of the article lists the support that "trickled in" from within Ellison's party: Rep. Betty McCollum, Rep. Jim Oberstar, Sen. Mark Dayton.

Diaz also notes that Sen. Collin Peterson, "like Sabo" (an interrupter seemingly inserted only to buttress Diaz's so-far mostly unsubstantiated thesis), didn't comment on Ellison's win "in the overwhelmingly Democratic district," and implies that Nancy Pelosi's unavailability for comment--she did release a statement of support--might suggest less than total commitment for the DFL-endorsed candidate.

Diaz doesn't include endorsements already on record by prominent democrats, from Dennis Kucinich and Walter Mondale to the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Mayor R.T. Rybak; Reps. Maxine Waters, John Conyers, Mel Watt, and Charles Rangel; Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin; and a host of state representatives and senators (many of the local endorsers were presented at Ellison's victory party).

Star Tribune readers representative Kate Parry was unavailable for comment, but I'll post her explanation should she offer one.

[Cross-posted at Minnesota Monitor.]