Catapult the Propaganda

When Fearless Leader uttered those words, they might've been the most honest of his presidency. Even though many right-wing bloggers and even some of the most fervent pro-Bush Congressmen have abandoned their mission to demand that the media report on all that "good news" from Iraq, the White House is boldly staying the course.

U.S. military leaders in Baghdad have put out for bid a two-year, $20 million public relations contract that calls for extensive monitoring of U.S. and Middle Eastern media in an effort to promote more positive coverage of news from Iraq.

The contract calls for assembling a database of selected news stories and assessing their tone as part of a program to provide "public relations products" that would improve coverage of the military command's performance, according to a statement of work attached to the proposal.

Perhaps the saddest part of the article is author Walter Pincus using the term "coalition forces." I didn't think anyone was still using that old chestnut.