AP's Anne Flaherty's turn to LIE for BushCo....

As the great guys (and gals) over at Buzzflash.com point out, you couldn't ask for a better example of A PROPAGANDA HEADLINE than this AP article entitled "Rumsfeld REACHES OUT to DEMOCRATS."

No, even a CASUAL reading of the article reveals QUITE THE OPPOSITE: Mr. Rumsfeld (on behalf of his Dark Lord and Master, Dick Cheney) is STICKING BY THE comments he made in a speech a day earlier: that to CRITICIZE his administration of the war in Iraq is "TO APPEASE TERRORISTS."

Yes, it is true: Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush think that because they ALLOWED 20 Saudi hijackers to plot and execute the 9-11 terrorist attacks, THEY HEREBY HAVE CARTE-BLANCHE, UNLIMITED POWERS TO RULE AMERICA as they so desire - ANY opposition or exposition of failures and corruption in Iraq is IMMEDIATELY portrayed as "AIDING THE TERRORISTS."

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Rumsfeld REACHES OUT to Democrats [NOT!]

By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY,
Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 1, 2006
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld reached out to Democrats late Friday, OPENING UP THE DOOR for them [NOT!] to retract their stinging indictment of him as Pentagon chief.

In a letter to Congress's top Democrats, Rumsfeld said recent remarks he made during a speech in Salt Lake City were MISREPRESENTED [?? Later in this same article, Rumsfeld STANDS BY those very same outspoken, direct, unambiguous statements!] by the media, including by the Associated Press. Rumsfeld said he was "concerned" by the reaction of Democrats, many of whom called for his resignation and said he was treading on dangerous territory.

"I know you agree that with America under attack and U.S. troops in the field, our national debate on this should be constructive," Rumsfeld wrote Friday.

During his speech before thousands of veterans Tuesday, Rumsfeld said the world faces "a new type of fascism" and warned against repeating the pre-World War II mistake of appeasement. He alluded to critics of the Bush administration's war policies in terms associated with the failure to stop Nazism in the 1930s, "a time when a certain amount of cynicism and moral confusion set in among the Western democracies."

WITHOUT EXPLICITLY CITING BUSH CRITICS [ ??? in just 5 sentences, those CRITICS will INDEED be singled out: "LAWMAKERS WHO HAVE CRITICIZED HIS REMARKS"!!] at home or abroad, he said "it is apparent THAT MANY ["THAT MANY" is an ambiguous designation that, as just highlighted, is NOT in the least bit ambiguous in the context of this Rumsfeld letter and his earlier speech] have still not learned history's lessons." Aides to Rumsfeld said later he was not accusing the administration's critics of trying to appease the terrorists but was cautioning against a repeat of errors made in earlier eras.

"Thought and careful preparation went into what I said," Rumsfeld wrote in the letter. "It is absolutely essential for us to look at lessons of history in this critical moment in the war on terror." I was honored by the reception my statements received from our veterans.

Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff said Rumsfeld's letter "reaffirms his Salt Lake City speech and it suggests lawmakers who have criticized his remarks move beyond politics and read it for what it is." Ruff said the "speech raises important questions about how America and free societies are going to confront the 21st Century terrorists who are serious, lethal and relentless."

Democrats said Friday they stood by their remarks.

"We did read the speech and he makes comparisons to World War II" that are unjustified, said Brendan Daly, spokesman for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. "He needs to explain that. We stand behind what we said."

Pelosi, D-Calif., had said: "If Mr. Rumsfeld is so concerned with comparisons to World War II, he should explain why our troops have now been fighting in Iraq longer than it took our forces to defeat the Nazis in Europe."

"It's always been clear what Secretary Rumsfeld said," said Rebecca Kirszner, a spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. "What's not clear is that he has a strategy in Iraq and to keep America safe. This letter doesn't change that."

Sen. Jack Reed (news, bio, voting record), D-R.I., also "stands by his earlier comments," said spokeswoman Regan Lachapelle. "No one has misread history more than Secretary Rumsfeld, especially when it comes to Iraq."

Senate Democrats were expected to meet Wednesday to discuss several issues, including whether they will try to force a vote of no confidence on Rumsfeld. Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., has vowed to push legislation next week calling for Rumsfeld to resign.

"Nothing can change the fact that Secretary Rumsfeld insulted the patriotism of the American people, and he needs to be held accountable for it," Boxer said Friday.

Text of Rumsfeld's speech: http://www.defenselink.mil/Speeches/Speech.aspx?SpeechID1033