Can't Spin This.

[americanstranger]

n the little time I have to drive around Bloghdad, windows open and a Red dangling from my lips, I'm trying to get a feel for how the more conservative bloggers are handling the news that the Military Times Media group is going to call for Rummy's firing (you could call it 'resignation' or 'replacement,' I guess - but when you get right down to it, they want him shitcanned).

Answer - not well.

I'm not linking to any of these assholes, because they're easily found.

Instahack is posting emails from readers who are trying to spin it as more 'liberal media,' due to the fact that the four papers are published by Gannett. He's also got an email stating that the call for Rummy's metaphorical head on a pike is no worse that grousing that is heard in corporate boardroom or places where people gather to complain about the boss.

Nice try.

First off, Gannett would not dare publish an editorial in any of the Military Times papers lambasting the Secretary of Defense without getting clearance from military leaders - it would be circulation suicide, and an unauthorized editorial like that would put any of those papers (let alone ALL FOUR of them) straight out of business. The military would drop their endorsement and the papers would fold.

Gannett would not do that, and the military would not let them do it.

Second, we're not talking about warehouse workers sitting in the lunch room complaining about how the boss sucks. The military criticism has been levelled at Rummy from the bottom (see the Army times poll I posted last night) to the top (retired generals, who are often used as a conduit for saying what active duty personnel are prohibited by oath from saying) of the military structure. Even in Iraq, where the administration would have you believe everyone loves Bush and Rummy and everyone is gung-ho for the mission, the brass has been very critical - to the extent that they can be.

In short, the Rightards would love to be able to spin this as that damned liberal media criticizing a competent and admired leader. But it's not that.

More at http://www.blah3.com/article.php?story=20061104142539199

---

- as

(Edited to add more article)