WORD IS GETTING OUT

Interestingly I am seeing more and more stories highlighting the negativity of the press coverage of our efforts in Iraq.

Here is one.

Commerce is coming to life, as 5,000 small businesses have opened since May 1. Most all big hospitals and universities are back in operation, and hundreds of other schools around Iraq are set for teaching kids, instead of serving as weapons warehouses. More than 40,000 Iraqi police are patrolling with Coalition troops, months ahead of where we were at with Germany just after World War II. The same goes for the creation of a national governing council as well as local governing bodies, Rumsfeld noted.

Those who'd simply dismiss this as more lies from Rumsfeld are probably those who'd agree with Sen. Ted Kennedy's feverish claim last week that the whole war was a ''fraud'' cooked up in Texas to help the Republicans politically. That's only a half-step above the worldwide wackos who claim that the U.S. government cooked up the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks...

A long news account from Iraq yesterday began with the killing of another American soldier, which the usual naysayers would claim as reason to get out now; the Iraqis don't want us. But far down in the 27th and final paragraph was news of a Baghdad video shop being destroyed by a bomb. Why? Bush-bashers would jump to the conclusion that Islamic sensibilities were being bruised by a store peddling decadent Hollywood trash, and the people of Iraq were just freeing themselves from another evil U.S. influence. Actually, the shop owner said he had ignored several warning notes to stop selling videos that revealed atrocities committed by Saddam's regime.

Guess which Iraqis really want us out now.