SOLDIERS CAN SEE IT. CPA MEMBERS CAN SEE IT. CELEBRITY GUESTS CAN SEE IT.VISITING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS CAN SEE IT.

It seems it is only invisible to reporters.

The congressional VIPs visited only U.S. bases, wore body armor and was protected at all times. But Davis said that in visiting Iraq, she learned that the situation is unlike the one portrayed in TV news coverage.

"It's not like there's a bomb going off every minute," she said. "People thought I was nuts for going, but that's not what I saw when I got there.

"I don't want to take away from [that] it's a dangerous place," Davis said. "But it's in sections. Are there still people there who want us out? Yes.

"But our men and women, they're learning more every day about how to fight these insurgents, and they're doing a darn good job of it," she said. "We are doing the right thing. It is going to be something that's going to take a while. After June 30 happens, the violence isn't going to stop."

Davis said most Iraqis are going about their daily lives.

AND THERE IS THIS...

Mr. Peschang spent eight months in Iraq helping to restore utility service as part of Task Force RIE, or Restore Iraqi Electricity.

He returned to the Quad-Cities May 12, full of stories and a bit dismayed over what he feels is a one-sided view being shown in the American media.

``There is danger there, but it is not as dangerous as they show,'' he said. ``At least 95 percent of my experiences with the Iraqi people were good. They wanted us there, they were happy with what we were doing, they could see we wanted to do good things for them.''

He went to Iraq to work on a transmission line from Hartha to Al Kut. It, as well as other power lines, had been torn down by Saddam Hussein's regime.

While there, he worked within a 700-kilometer stretch in seven major cities and more than 100 villages. ``I got to see so many people, and I covered a lot of ground,'' he said. ``What I saw were happy, smiling faces and a lot of hellos and thank yous.''

He said it was easy to become friendly with several of the people he met, including the Iraqi guards who gave protection while he was working on the power lines.

One villager gave him a piece of jewelry to show his appreciation of their friendship. Another man began calling him ``brother'' after Mr. Peschang helped get him to a hospital for medical attention.

And editors of local newspapers can see it!

IT WAS THE incredible disappearing story, one that seemed to confirm much of the public’s suspicion that the American media are unwilling to acknowledge any good news coming out of Iraq.

Early on Wednesday morning, June 9, National Public Radio’s first news broadcast of the day included brief mention of “a breaking story” —a report that American commandos had succeeded in a daring rescue of three Italians and a Pole held hostage for more than two months by insurgents. No further details were available at the moment.

Apparently no further details were available forever after, because the story disappeared from the radar screen. A steady listener dial-hopping during a six-hour trip from southern Connecticut to northern New Hampshire never heard another word about the rescue, not even so much as a repeat of the previous story.

It can only make a news addict wonder how many other success stories in Iraq are getting short-shrift or deep-sixed.

Many people with family members serving in the military, however, have no doubts.

They are so fed up with what they say is one-sided, bad-news-only reporting that they have set up several Web sites to get the truth out about the many successes and good deeds achieved by their sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in uniform. And in letters to the editor about Big Media’s blatant bad-news bias, the word they often use is “shameful.”

Geez, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, New York Times et al. What does it take?