As I pointed out in this post yesterday, I e-mailed the author of a letter about Good News™ in Iraq that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer to ask (nicely) if he was part of Rummy's propaganda team.
I received a response today from the man who penned that article, Major Kevin Kelly. He wrote*, "You are on to something really big. I am being held in the bowels of the pentagon and Sec. Rumsfeld is making me write all this stuff. Please help. Awaiting your rescue. Kevin"
At least he still has a sense of humour.
He went on to tell me not to believe everything I read in the "liberal press". What "liberal press"? He also assured me that, "When you tell the truth you don't need talking points" (minus the "curse words" that had originally appeared in what he said was just an e-mail home to someone, which they then forwarded to the Philly Inquirer. Hmmm...haven't I heard that one somewhere before?)
While it's nice to know that Major Kelly is not in the "bowels" of the Pentagon being tortured and forced to write about his mission, my skepticism remains. As I wrote earlier today, propaganda is propaganda - no matter what the source.
May Major Kelly and all of his mates return home safely and may they never suffer the nightmare of post traumatic stress disorder or the physical wounds that endure for a lifetime. I wish him well and thank him for responding to my inquiry so quickly. And, while there are good things going on in Iraq, I'll never buy into the "liberal press" meme for explaining why the bulk of the war news the public sees is about the horrors. War is hell. It's not flowers and candy. Hell gets coverage. Candy doesn't. That's reality.
* I warned Major Kelly in my e-mail that I would reserve the right to post quotes from his response on this blog.
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