(Cross-posted from The Blog Roundup).
So, faced with the public perception (based on news reports, CIA intelligence briefings and eyewitness accounts from real people on the ground) that Iraq is a quagmire and is getting worse, President Bush is leaping into action. Not (as you might reasonably assume) by actually attempting to improve the military or political situation, or even by starting to withdraw US troops from the mess; no, his master plan is to pretend that none of it's happening and to just convince everyone to say so:
U.S. Effort Aims to Improve Opinions About Iraq Conflict by Dana Milbank and and Mike Allen, Washington Post (subscription)
The Bush administration, battling negative perceptions of the Iraq war, is sending Iraqi Americans to deliver what the Pentagon calls "good news" about Iraq to U.S. military bases, and has curtailed distribution of reports showing increasing violence in that country.
The unusual public-relations effort by the Pentagon and the U.S. Agency for International Development comes as details have emerged showing the U.S. government and a representative of President Bush's reelection campaign had been heavily involved in drafting the speech given to Congress last week by interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Combined, they indicate that the federal government is working assiduously to improve Americans' opinions about the Iraq conflict -- a key element of Bush's reelection message.
Here we go again: More lies and spin.
- Trendar