Ellen Goodman, "It Was Not A Good Week for Liberty"

[Mrs. Venation]

Can it be a coincidence that Margaret Tutwiler quit as the top PR agent for America the same week photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse were beamed across the world? In one year, the president's "mission accom-plished" had become her mission impossible.

The respected veteran of four administrations was the third to give up the State Department post that is charged with improving America's image. It's going to be easier to put the bloom back on the rose of her next client, the New York Stock Exchange.

Imagine, just a week earlier, the Pentagon was worried about showing coffins of American soldiers coming through Dover Air Force Base. Then there was a controversy about whether "Nightline" should read the names and show photographs of 721 dead American soldiers.

Now this. A propagandist couldn't have done us more harm. Al Jazeera couldn't have made it worse. What more symbolic place to show Americans abusing Iraqis than in the notorious prison where Saddam Hussein held, tortured and murdered thousands of his citizens?

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/opinion/article/0,1406,KNS_361_2863253,00.html

[SharonAnn]

1. I had the same thought when I saw it this AM

Another DU'er from near Knoxville!

[Mrs. Venation]

3. Hi SharonAnn

I grew up near Knoxville, in Clinton, TN. Now I live in Maryland, but all my family is still in TN and for me it will always be home. I'm glad to see another East Tennessean here!

I miss the Smokey Mountains more than anything else about Tennessee, except for my family.

[tom_paine]

2. These have not been a good 4 YEARS for Liberty

If Bunnypants* "wins" in November, by hook or by crook, Liberty's days are NUMBERED.