"If it bleeds, it leads."
War Milestones; US Hits 1000 Troop Deaths in Iraq
Slantpoint blog
A sober news item today is the human milestone of passing 1000 US troop deaths in Iraq. Only our sense of record-keeping and statistics for passing judgment render this number relevant. Yet, facts are facts.
John Kerry pounced on this number as an opportunity to fire up the anti-war, anti-Bush vote.
''Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq; more than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have now given their lives on behalf of their country, on behalf of freedom, the war on terror,'' Kerry said as he arrived in Cincinnati on a campaign stop.
Why did he need to say this, when it was a news headline across the world?
In fact, Dems were practically planning for the 1000 milestone, as seen in yesterday’s Adam Nagourney's NY Times piece.
In the next few weeks, the nation is likely to mark the thousandth death of an American soldier in Iraq, a moment that will probably bring a reappraisal of the war that Mr. Bush advocated.
Planning, but not quite ready. Kerry's answer today was far from rehearsed. Thank God. I could only imagine what preparation could have added. |
