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The Sleeping Giant Waketh: AP Takes Down Bush Speech Email Print

By SusanG
11/30/2005 09:48:10 PM EST

My word. I mean ... my WORD. Look at this, people. Just look at this headline:

Bush's view of Iraq doesn't square with reality

And this is from Associated Press, to be distributed to all its newspapers on the morrow.

Ouch.

And then read the lede:

WASHINGTON - President Bush's depiction of Iraqi security forces as "helping to turn the tide" is difficult to square with persistent setbacks in handing control of the country back to its own people.

His suggestion that Americans are solidly behind the mission also understates opposition at home, and his hard sell on the rising quality of Iraqi forces overlooks complexities on the ground.

Double ouch.

And then this little knife-in-the-back insta-analysis:

Bush, making his remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy, spoke as if the debate about Iraq were limited to Washington and only politicians were questioning the mission.

Yowser. The story then goes into detail about how Americans are turning against the war, how the IMF thinks it's a disaster and other little tidbits to make the reality-based hearts among us glow.

But the REAL heart-warming part comes in the closer:

As he did before the invasion, Bush tied Iraq to terrorism, to make the case that a stable Iraq would make for a safer America.

He declared, "The terrorists have made it clear that Iraq is the central front in their war against humanity. And so we must recognize Iraq as the central front in the war on terror."

Iraq was not, however, the terrorists' chosen battlefield until Saddam was defeated and extremists poured across unsecured borders.

Sharks in the water, I'm telling you. The sleeping pack of the press is waking up and doing some fact-checking, analysis and backgrounding. We sure could have used it in the run-up to the war, to be sure, but hey ... I'll take it now at any rate.


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The Sleeping Giant Waketh: AP Takes Down Bush Speech | 7 comments (7 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Now, when they condemn... (none / 0)
...those who don't support the war, they're talking about 65% of the country.

Not smart to call out that many folks.

The Albany Project. The best damned blog about New York State politics.

by NYBri on 11/30/2005 10:00:36 PM EST

Look what it took (none / 0)
to wake up the press -- war crimes, the entire GOP leadership under investigation for one thing or another, a top level administration indictment, propaganda 'convictions' (from the GAO).

Holy Crap! What about next time -- will they be asleep then.

I know I should be grateful that they've finally awoken, but for some reason I'm still sick to my stomach.

Political Cortex -- Brain Food for the Body Politic

by Tom Ball on 11/30/2005 10:42:01 PM EST

Wow! (none / 1)
Sleeping giant indeed.  All I can say is, it's about time.  8 months ago I published a book that said almost the exact things in this AP commentary... So why could we all see it and they couldn't?

by ColdFusion04 on 11/30/2005 10:51:55 PM EST

You're smarter, is my guess (none / 1)
And you're not bought. And you're not dazzled by access. And you're honest.

That's just a beginning.

by SusanG on 11/30/2005 11:09:12 PM EST

[ Parent ]
"Timing" (none / 0)
a mob doesn't pile on unless they're sure they won't get the worst end of things.

It takes insight and courage to identify the causes before the mob acts.  

(Then you get to say, "See, I told ya so.")!

More comforting, perhaps, is that you'll also be ahead of the "curveballs" next time as well. It's sorta like the difference between intelligence and intelligent design. The first is authentic; the second, contrived and derivative.

Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle. FDR

by btyarbro on 12/01/2005 11:35:04 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Just because AP puts it out... (none / 0)
Doesn't mean any of the American corporate media giants will print it. And if they do print it at all? Look for it to be buried in the deepest most darkest unread section of the paper.

Did I mention that I really am an optimist? There just isn't much to be optimistic about these days.

Guaranteed to be plastered all over the Internet
Drinking Liberally in New Milford

by Connecticut Man1 on 12/02/2005 12:02:12 AM EST

That's true (none / 1)
but the significant thing to me is that AP put it out at all. The Associated Press has been by far the most biased and Bush-friendly of the major wire services. I'm glad to see a shift in the tide, even if it's small.

Impeach 'em all, let God sort 'em out!

by moses freeman on 12/03/2005 05:25:48 AM EST

[ Parent ]
The Sleeping Giant Waketh: AP Takes Down Bush Speech | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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