The United States of Propaganda and the "reporter" at my door

Operation Swarmer was a lie. We all know that now. It had been billed (by CNN, AP, and Reuters) as the biggest assault since shock & awe. 1400 troops "secured" a two-bit town in the Iraqi desert with 1500 sand-poor residents. Found: a few rifles and some empty shell casings. Big whoop, y'all. US and Iraqi forces rounded up the usual suspects and put yellow tags on some guns for the cameras (no American cameras or reporters, by the way).

The Iraqi desert covers 75% of the country and has never been a dangerous, suspected insurgent-infested area. Expect to hear the Pentagon crow about how "we've secured" 75% of Iraq for Mom and apple pie. Duh. Secure Baggdad, get the electricity and water up and running, then we'll talk.

Meanwhile, back in Houston, several FOX News reporters visited Jerry Akins before the president was scheduled to arrive for an "I love the little people" photo op. Later, Akins was shocked to learn that those FOX News reporters had actually been members of Bush's advance team... posing as FOX News reporters.

Which brings us to the first thing I thought of when I read that Sun Herald news story. Yesterday, a Washington Post real estate reporter knocked on my front door and asked about the house for sale next door. We chatted briefly, she took a few notes, and gave me her card.

This morning, I scrutinized her biz card. Hm. Very simple. Could've been easily created with home software. Then I Googled her. Newsday, Suffolk, and WaPo bylines. If she's a G-Girl, her cover is sound.

My point: anytime you blur the lines between the government and the press (or political campaigning and the press), America slips further down the Pravda slope.

Larisa Alexandrovna at The Huffington Post suspects the Lincoln Group/ Rendon Group partnership. Remember them? They 're the Bush Clandestine Company that got caught paying Iraqi journalists to publish Pollyanna Glad Game Good News in their newspapers.

Psst! The Rendon Group's Washington DC HQ is housed in an unmarked suite (4th floor, street level) in the Universal North building at 1875 Connecticut Ave NW.

Don't even ask how or why I know this.

My conclusion: One Republican's bogus FOX News reporter is another's suspect WaPo reporter. I'll never again assume that a WaPo real estate reporter is who she claims to be, and neither should you or anyone else. Thanks, BushCo.

So you think you know Delilah?
Judges 16:19-- And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.