I was reading about the success of the Democrats passing a bill to reform ethics and lobbying, when I realized how small misleading statements could give someone false conclusions.  In the first paragraph of the article Senate Approves Tighter Rules on Ethics and Lobbying, the NYTimes write:

...with an overwhelming majority of Republicans and Democrats agreeing to better police the relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists.

I immediately thought that this was poor writing and poor storytelling.  Even though I knew it was a great moment for the Democrats, I got the impression that Republicans passed the bill and deserve the credit. By mentioning the Republicans first, the writer lets the reader think this was a republican success. In addition, by saying "an overwhelming majority" before saying Dem or Repub, one might come to the conclusion that this was a bipartisan effort and bipartisan deflection.

If i could correct the NYTimes, i would write:

... with Democrats and an overwhelming majority of Republicans agreeing to better police the relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists.

Doesnt that sound better?  Isn't that closer to the truth?  Am i crazy and over reacting, or is this the subtle bias that has plagued the Democrats for years?