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It will be interesting to see how the Massachusetts press will spin a Jack Robinson victory if he defeats unpopular incumbent Stephen Lynch on November 7.

Having viciously and unnecessarily attacked the man's character six years ago (when he launched a grassroots campaign against US Senator Edward Kennedy), how will the Bay State press corps deal with a Congressman Robinson?

It will be hard for them to continually dredge up things about Robinson they dislike, especially considering the ethical problems of past and present Massachusetts Congressman, problems that never seemed to arouse much outrage from the press.

The potshots Robinson received from the mainstream press in 2000 are quite similar to the potshots Republican gubernatorial candidate Kerry Healey has received from progressive blogs. The difference, of course, is that one expects progressive blogs to be highly partisan.

Many of the reporters who openly snickered at Robinson's Senatorial campaign are still around, and if Robinson defeats the less-than-impressive incumbent, many of those reporters will find it difficult to restrain themselves from attacking both Robinson and the voters who put him into office. They will be especially chagrined if Robinson wins and media darling Deval Patrick loses.

No matter which party gains control of the House of Representatives on November 7, a Congressman Robinson will instantly become a national figure (for being a Republican who won when everyone expected Republican incumbents and challengers to lose, the first Massachusetts Republican Congressman in ten years, and an independent-minded statesman who will not bow down to any party's orthodoxy). The national press joined in the pummeling of Robinson in 2000. Will they repeat their character slurs in 2006 and 2007?

If Robinson wins, the treatment he receives at the hands of the local and national press will be telling. Most reporters don't have any use for Lynch, who has done a Jekyll-and-Hyde act on the war in Iraq. However, it's tough to envision Robinson, who eschews the cut-and-run mentality, getting a fair shake.

Ultimately, Robinson can't worry about the press' treatment of him if he wins. His job will not be to feud with the press. His job will be to serve the residents of the Ninth District with honor--and in doing so, he'll be everyone's top story.