Glenn Reynolds provides the transcript of an exchange between Howard Kurtz and and Mark Halperin on CNN’s Reliable Sources today.

On media coverage of money raised during the campaign

KURTZ: Mark Halperin, we learned this morning that Barack Obama in the month of September raised $150 million, the early estimates had been about $100 million. They always kind of leak a lower figure so they can exceed it.

If a Republican had not taken public financing and had raised all that money, and the Democrat was struggling financially, wouldn’t we see a lot of stories about one candidate essentially trying to buy the election?

HALPERIN: We would. We’d also see a lot of stories about his going back on his word saying that he would accept the public money and would reach out to Senator McCain to try to work out a deal. So I think this is a case of a clear, unambiguous double standard, and any reporter who doesn’t ask themselves, why is that, why would it be different if it’s a Republican? I think is doing themselves and our profession and our democracy a disservice.

Yes, suddenly the media’s becoming honest about its double-standards. Why? As Glenn Reynolds writes, Obama appears to have the election won. I’m not convinced that he does, but many people (especially the media) do.