August 21, 2007

IRAQ II: Proxy Warriors

Many in the netroots are disappointed that a New York Timesop-ed penned by soldiers about to return from service in Iraq did not receive as much press attention as Brookings scholars Ken Pollack and Michael O'Hanlon's did. Talking Points Memo's Greg Sargent blogs: "Just stunning. ... By any reasonable standard, this should have been big news. A group of soldiers with a first-hand view of the situation stepped forward and publicly proclaimed not just that the prospects for success are "far fetched," but also that the press has been basically misinforming the American people about the situation there. "

Digby speculates on the lack of coverage: "[First], the Dems don't seem to have any kind of apparatus to "catapult the propaganda" (or seemingly any desire to have one) and the second is because I think the right will go into overdrive to present these guys as good and decent patriotic non-coms (who-aren't-all-that-bright-if-you-know-what-I-mean-shhhh.)"

Digby concludes: "I would hope that any Democratic spokesman appearing in the media in the next few days will have the names of these seven soldiers memorized and ready to trip from their tongues at every given opportunity."

Atrios, however, is not as willing to hitch his wagon to these soldier's star: "[W]hile I truly think those on the ground in Iraq should have their voices amplified, I've never personally been comfortable making judgments about which of those voices should be amplified. They aren't my proxy warriors. I have no idea if they're representative and have no ability to make that determination."

Posted by Conn Carroll at August 21, 2007 12:47 PM