Alternative Realities

Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, gave a press conference at the Pentagon today. Compare this Associated Press report by Robert Burns, “U.S. Commander Doubts Iraq Troop Cutbacks,” with this story by Donna Miles of the American Forces Press Service: “Casey Cites Continued Progress in Iraq Despite Challenges.”
Were they in the same room? Presumably. But it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Burns’ only objective in being there was to look for ways to spin Casey’s comments to make them sound more negative than they really were, thereby giving American newspaper readers a false impression of what was said at the press conference.