Posted 10:07 AM by steve

Here's todays' chapter in the continuing series (I'll never lack for material) The Washington Post: Just as Biased, Just Not As Stupid...

Today's 4 column headline U.S. 'Almost All Wrong' on Weapons. What is there about this that is really news, and 4 columns worth of headlines? Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. We've known for a while that there were no WMDs in Iraq. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Powell have all, at one time or another, acknowledged this. Kerry and Edwards have based their entire campaign on the lack of WMDs. If this was a crime scene, we'd have the policeman saying "move along folks, there's no story here". But it is a good way for the Post editors to get in another shot at Bush, another opportunity to dig at his credibility.

Remember how I said the Post works it magic through a combination of emphasis and placement. So, let's also look at what didn't rate the prime spot on today's front page.Hussein Used Oil to Dilute Sanctions
Report Says He Gave Valuable Vouchers to Those Who Helped Iraq, a story that strikes at Kerry's assertion that sanctions on Hussein were sufficient to compel Hussein's compliance with UN resolutions. This story has not, outside of the conservative press and blogosphere, gotten a lot of ink. Yet, it doesn't rate with the post. Interestingly, it is THE STORY for the Post web site, at least as of the time of this posting, while the 'Lack of WMDs' story is relegated to a secondary position on the web site. I wonder why?

Another story the Post gives us War's Rationales Are Undermined One More Time Revelations May Hurt Bush's Image. Yet, just yesterday, Bush gave a speech President Defends Iraq War in Run-Up to Second Debate in which he invoked the Sturm Doctrine (okay, not by name) in which he defended going to war EVEN THOUGH HE NOW KNOWS THERE WERE NO WMDs. One might think this would rate at least equal placement on the front page - perhaps even more prominent placement since it is new - but not to the Post.

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