If the top portion of the most violent acts in Iraq are fabrications by perhaps an Al Queda or Iranian operative and if another top portion are reprisals for stories reported as true, then that could change the perception to the believed cause of the violence. It would shift the perceived cause away from 'an inevitable civil war' to 'external forces'.

How much of a shift, I don't know. But this is about more than a news service's reputation for integrity. It's about a new service being a willing player in advancing propaganda to some degree of effectiveness.

It also brings into some doubt another thing.

The "best source" for civilian deaths is supposed to be the Iraq Body Count website.

However, they rely on - you got it - press reports for their way of gathering info. It wouldn't take many other "ghost" sources to make you wonder about even the "conservative" death tolls we've been hearing from Day One.

I just happened to click over to to an AP report that centers on Bush's lies October 25 -- when he said, two weeks before the election, that we were winning the war in Iraq. Now, today -- admits that we aren't winning the war.

Now, I admit that Republicans lying to get re-elected is commonplace , no news there - what struck me was the AP's choice of photos for this story's illustration. Check it out. It sure looks to me as if they may have intentionally chosen that particular photo -- it sure seems to capture the true Bush persona, horns and all. lol.

No wonder the conservative blogosphere has launched an organized and orchestrated smear campaign against the AP. The Associated Press may indeed be pointing out George's lies more often now and, perhaps, even having fun with the photo editing.

The President of the United States, reduced to nothing more than a comical joke - it is disrespectful I admit. Still, it's accurate!

Let's not forget:

Bush stepped back from his confident assertion two months ago that "absolutely, we're winning" in Iraq. Wednesday, he said, "We're not winning. We're not losing."

The president said he changed his formulation because "we're not succeeding nearly as fast as I wanted ... and that the conditions are tough in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad."

He said his original remark, on Oct. 25, was made in the spirit that "I believe that we're going to win. I believe that -- and, by the way, if I didn't think that, I wouldn't have our troops there."

Two weeks before the election the President of the United States lied to the American pubic about us winning the war in Iraq. He did so in an attempt to benefit his own political party's chances in the November 7th election.

The horns fit.

BLEED FOR ODIN!

Lee have you got a blog? No? If so, link please.

Just a Drive By Media type huh?

You must be a sad sack of an individual. Nothing to entertain you except waiting, waiting, waiting for a new post on Wizbang, then pop, pop, pop firing away just like the DBM does. The DBM is on life support as you very well may be.

Pitiful really.

To paraphrase Lee: "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain".

And to point out that the actual orchestrated smear campaign is by the AP against the president is priceless, Lee.

Simple. The AP has been caught red handed. If they had the source they would have produced him.

F&%K off and die lee. You unAmerican lying POS.

The libs love to tell us that the media is not leftwing, but notice how often they defend them.

It's true Lee, that Bush said things just to get elected. Like that time he said there was a secret draft plan in the works if his opponent won.

Oh wait.

Tbogg gives this mindset a solid beating.

http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2006/12/dispatches-from-dayroom-warbloggers.html

jp2,

More of the same old thing from the lefties. War is happening, bad things occur, Republicans are in denial. This is crap, pal.

Nobody is denying regular deaths in Iraq. But is it too much to ask of Reuters not to photoshop stuff? Is it too much to ask CNN not to agree to forward Saddam's BS by contract? Is it too much to ask if AP, already guilty of a lot of bad data, to base stories on real experiences?

Apparently it is.

But one day, someone will forge documents on your President and you might, then, take an interest in the truth, not just what helps your side.

Which mindset would that be, jp2? "We've caught you lying to us time and time again; would you mind proving what you're saying now?"

And that's what you call a thorough beating, I sincerely hope you aren't a social worker. That wasn't even a mild spanking. I'd consider it little more than a vaguely coherent scolding.

J.

Lee said:

The President of the United States, reduced to nothing more than a comical joke - it is disrespectful I admit. Still, it's accurate!

Historically, people like Lee and many others mocked and ridiculed Churchill for his "parnoia" over the rise of Hitler----while Chamberlin took it serious enough to negotiate.

The "Lees" of the world sit in their comfortable bubble (with one way mirrors) and refuse to see the threats that promise our demise.

Ahmadinejad says "the Iranian nation will continue in its nuclear path powerfully and will celebrate a nuclear victory soon."

And what is a "nuclear victory" Lee? Can ya help us out on this one?

If AP has created this "ghost-writer" that has produced over 61 stories that may be total fabrications, how do we trust what is written and published in the worlds news media to be in fact the truth?

Our President sees the necessity of a stable and democratic Iraq. He also knows the ramifications of the region influenced by the nutcases like Ahmadinejad.

But, stay in that bubble Lee, and keep up the BDS.
All that blather can certainly withstand a little nuclear heat.

"conservative bloggers ignoring the bona fide, grim realities on the ground". If the MSM keeps making stuff up, how can I know what the grim realities really are? If they were as bad as you say they are, they why lie about it? Or maybe the lies lead you to ignore the grim realities?

It's not just "one story". It was the pretext for almost all the MSM to instantly declare "It's a civil war now." Within 48 hours after this fraudulent story broke, every broadcast news operation, CNN, and most newsweeklies proclaimed so in lockstep.

It has every earmark of a cooridinated effort on the media to hamstring the current administration.

That's why it's important.

It seems that al-AP (along with Lee and his buddies that believes everything that the Drive by Media has to say) has conviently forgotten the photoshopped photos of the bombing damage and the green helmet guy that faked all of those civilians dying in Beirut and other Lebanese towns. We all know that these all faked; so why not do the same thing in Iraq? Ten years ago, those faked items would be taken as gospel by the ignorant public. It goes to show, the DBM still has its head buried in the sand and will not pull it out anytime soon.

Big Leftie Here, and you won't find me defending the MSM.

I saw them make up lies about Gore and let W spout anything he wanted in the 2000 election.
Changed history, they did.
(I know, no big deal. Our treasury has disappeared, and thousands of U.S. soldiers are maimed or dead, but the MSM just keeps rollin' right along).

Cheerleaded a war. Nothing to defend there.
They're owned by corporations, so you know they skew the news for their own benefit.

No siree. No defense of the MSM from these quarters.

Robert the dickless,

You think the MSM is chearleading the war?

What they chearleaded was Gore's disgracefull attempt to steal the 2000 election by recounting relected Democratic counties and eliminating the military vote, but they support the troops.