No Shame at the Associated Press

In what could only be viewed as utilizing any reason to get the amount of American deaths in Iraq into the news, AP "news" writer Calvin Woodward gives us this:

WASHINGTON - Now the death toll is 9/11 times two. U.S. military deaths from
Iraq and Afghanistan now match those of the most devastating terrorist attack in America's history, the trigger for what came next. Add casualties from chasing terrorists elsewhere in the world, and the total has passed the Sept. 11 figure.

The latest milestone for a country at war comes without commemoration. It also may well come without the precision of knowing who is the 2,973rd man or woman of arms to die in conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, or just when it happens. The terrorist attacks killed 2,973 victims in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

I would bet anything that the AP had this story written weeks ago and counted down the deaths until they could run it. Mr. Woodward had this ready to go as soon as word of another death came across the wire. This is despicable, but sadly expected from the AP.

Do you think they ran a story noting the death of the serviceman that put the WWII level past that of Pearl Harbor? Of course not.

This is why the AP comes under fire repeatedly from the right side of the blogosphere.