January 31, 2006

THE INITIALS STAND FOR "ALWAYS PROPAGANDA":

Bush Skips Complex Realities in Address (Calvin Woodward and Hope Yen, 1/31/06, Associated Press)

President Bush set energy self-sufficiency goals Tuesday night that would still leave the country vulnerable to unstable oil sources. He also declared he is helping more people get health care, despite a rising number of uninsured.

Whether promoting a plan to "save Social Security" or describing Iraqi security forces as "increasingly capable of defeating the enemy," Bush skipped over some complex realities in his State of the Union speech.

Might as well be headlined: "Discerning Readers Skip the AP Wire."

Posted by Matt Murphy at January 31, 2006 11:37 PM
Comments

Whoops, I posted too quick...as far as the AP is concerned, we've got further mileage on the Apocalypse Express:

Analysis: State of the Union Agitated
by Ron Fournier, AP Political Writer
The state of the union is fretful.

President Bush acknowledged the public's agitated state Tuesday night when he gave voice to growing concerns about the course of the nation he has led for five years. His credibility no longer the asset it once was, the president begged Americans' indulgence for another chance to fix things.

There is no shortage: the Iraq war, global terrorism, a nuclear Iran, a stingy global economy, skyrocketing health care costs, troubled U.S. schools, rising fuel costs, looming budget deficits and government corruption.

Posted by: Matt Murphy at January 31, 2006 11:54 PM

Fournier is the absolute worst of the lot. And that's saying something.

Posted by: Jim in Chicago at January 31, 2006 11:58 PM

Jim in Chicago:

Worst of the lot period or worst at the AP? Dana Milbank is pretty pathetic.

Posted by: Matt Murphy at February 1, 2006 12:14 AM

Oh for the halcyon days of Bill Clinton's two-hour State of the Union laundry lists...

Posted by: John at February 1, 2006 12:44 AM

I see that Ron Fournier is implicitly in favor of bombing Iran and drilling in ANWR, so that's good...

His mention of a "stingy global economy" as a problem that America can effectively address is a bit puzzling, since the U.S. are currently the engine of the global economy; perhaps Ron Fournier advocates an American takeover of the EU ?

Posted by: Michael Herdegen [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 1, 2006 1:19 AM

Matt, I was just thinking worst of the AP, but he may well the worst period. Milbank's terrible, but at least he's not writing a piece that's going to be immediately picked up by newspapers and radio stations across the nation.

Posted by: Jim in Chicago at February 1, 2006 1:40 AM

Something in this posting illustrates the unfairness of affirmative action in all its works.

Because of quotas and diversity selection, some will see the byline of the AP article and fall into rash, unfair supposition as to whether it had been Calvin or Ms. Yen that bin doin' the writin'. The unfortunate Mr. Woodward may be a fine journalist and skilled writer, he might be of Swedish descent, for all we know, but the rash judgement still diminished the individuality and humanity of everyone involved.

Posted by: Lou Gots at February 1, 2006 2:05 PM

why does it take two people to grind out this little missive ?

Posted by: toe at February 1, 2006 5:59 PM
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