The AP tests the water, but still shivers

Hoffmania points out a smackdown of Bush by the AP. But see if you can spot the editorial concession to media conventional wisdom:

In new attacks on Kerry, Bush twists his rival's words

WACO, Texas - President George W. Bush opened several new scathing lines of attack against Democrat John Kerry, charges that twisted his rival's words on Iraq and made Kerry seem supportive of deposed dictator Saddam Hussein.

It was not unlike the spin that Kerry and his forces sometimes place on Bush's words.

The article then goes on to give several examples in which Bush has twisted Kerry's words. All of which is good. Except that no where in the article does it give an example of something that is "not unlike the spin that Kerry and his forces sometimes place on Bush's words."

I strongly suspect that the original copy did not include that line. It just doesn't fit into the natural flow of the article. It was probably added by an editor who still follows the conventional rule that an "objective" news article must be "balanced". Since the entire article was nothing but a series of take downs of Bush, it was necessary to add an opinion line that Kerry and his people have been doing the same thing to Bush.

The fact that they couldn't cite an example of this was besides the point.

I suppose we should be happy that at least they are finally pointing out the obvious. But that little concession is a warning to us that the establishment media has a long way to go.