The New York Times seems to be pulling out all the stops in attempting to prevent any type of a surge strategy in Iraq. Reading this piece below is like deja vu all over again.
G.O.P. Senator in Spotlight After a Critical Iraq Speech
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 — At the close of the Senate’s lame-duck session, in between formulaic tributes to senators departing voluntarily or otherwise, a Republican backbencher suddenly rose to give one of the most passionate and surprising speeches about the war in Iraq yet delivered in Congress.
If you follow DC reporting on Iraq, you may be familiar with the speech by Republican Gordon Smith of Oregon, though with so many 24 hour news cycles come and gone, it may tax your memory to recall it. Enter the New York Times.
the words spoken by the senator, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, on the evening of Dec. 7 were incendiary and marked a stunning break with the president.
The problem is, there is no spotlight as the headline suggests. There is no new news at all. There isn't even really any new angle. The Times simply held onto what they obviously perceive as a real anti-war gem that was already copiously reported, here's the full text in the same NY Times on Dec. 8.
And The Times regurgitated it just prior to an anticipated announcement by Bush as regards a change in tactics in Iraq. Imagine that? Call it a case of all the old non-news fit to print, when it serves your political agenda.
