Well over 100,000 visits yesterday. A new record. Thanks.
EMAIL OF THE DAY: “I just saw the Nick Berg video in its entirety. It is a case study in evil personified. These guys are cowards. They are creatures. After seeing this video I was initially shocked, scared and deeply disturbed. 30 minutes later though I was very, very angry. My view of Islamic terrorism is now set in concrete. These Islamists must be defeated. We need to take off the gloves. Every American should see this video to see the true nature of these Islamic terrorists. If evil ever infected anybody, its those guys murdering Nick Berg and posting it for everyone to see. I really feel extremely bad for Nick’s family. I wish I could give each one of them a big hug and say “I love you” to them. I wish I could help them through this horror.”
SPINNING BERG: The NYT does its usual job of trying to find the anti-Bush line even on a story as gripping and complex as Nick Berg’s. When you read the story, you find no evidence that the government or U.S. military prevented him from leaving the country. you even find the following:
The F.B.I. released a statement indicating that coalition authorities had warned Mr. Berg that the environment was dangerous, but that he had refused their offers “to facilitate his safe passage out of Iraq.” ‘ Recalling Nicholas Berg’s independence, David Berg said such a refusal would not surprise his family, although he said he had no way of knowing whether Nicholas Berg had declined assistance. He had traveled to Iraq, in part, to generate business for his fledging telecommunications company, which specializes in servicing radio towers.
So why the NYT angle? If you hate the Bush administration and the war, it’s just reflexive to look at a story like Nick Berg’s and think of an angle to embarrass the administration. Yes, the family’s understandable anger should be reported. But their anger should not dictate the entire gist of your story.
The Dish 