AP’s weasel words

Just started reading the news and came across the AP’s story about the President going to Walter Reed today. What a smoldering turd of an unattributed AP story at Yahoo and another at WaPo and the Examiner by Jennifer Loven;

Bush on Friday was to tour the campus for the first time since reports surfaced of shabby conditions for veterans in outpatient housing.

Yes, it probably will be the first time he’s visited since LAST MONTH when the Washington Post covered the front page of every issue with the story. The truth is; President Bush has rarely missed a month visiting Walter Reed or Bethesda Naval Hospital. Since my wife works there and I have to hear her complain about the parking problems there when the President comes, I guess I’d know, wouldn’t I? In fact, when she went in this morning, she took the subway because she knew parking would be a mess today.

Walter Reed is considered one of the Army’s premier facilities for treating the wounded. The revelations of shoddy treatment for those wounded in war was an embarrassment to Bush, who routinely speaks of the need to support the troops.

The story makes it sound as if the troops were complaining about their medical treatment – that’s not the case. I’ve never read ONE COMMENT about poor medical treatment. The problem was with OUTPATIENT HOUSING (nothing new for the Army). Get it straight, AP.

This week, the House voted to create a coterie of case managers, advocates and counselors for injured troops. The bill also establishes a hotline for medical patients to report problems in their treatment.

Um, if AP was doing their job, they’d point out that all of these services are already available at Walter Reed, without Congress having to vote. And again, AP makes it sound as if the problem was with medical treatment.

Piss-poor reporting. But bloggers need editors to be accurate, right?

UPDATE: AP changed the story at the Yahoo link I provided. Shame on me for no screen shot.

Category: Media