Possumblog

Cool! The stories write themselves before they even happen!

In what seems to have become an increasingly common occurence, yet another reporter transports into the future to tell us what it will be like later on today.

Bush commemorates end of World War II
8/30/2005, 5:01 a.m. CT

By LIZ SIDOTI

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Bush, facing a public increasingly uncomfortable with his Iraq policies, is commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II while likening that 20th-century conflict to current wars.

With a San Diego naval base as a backdrop Tuesday, the president was to praise World War II veterans in a speech two weeks after the anniversary of the Aug. 14, 1945, surrender by Japan that ended World War II. [...]

After a short blurb by Scotty McClellan, the story shifts to past tense (which is fine for the stuff that happened yesterday) and further, it shifts away from the putative point of the story (commemorating the end of WWII) then back again to future tense, then to a complete and full recitation of the various acts in Cirque du Cindy and a litany of other things that serve no purpose except to let us know nothing except the reporter's opinion of President Bush. Which is just fine, but would be better labeled as commentary rather than actual reportage. Y'know, accuracy and all.

And yes, I realize reporters go ahead and write what they want to ahead of time--just all part of the business, eh? But, hey guys and gals--please just go ahead and drop the "disinterested observer of events" schtick, okay? When you get caught like this, it just looks silly. Or, sillier than usual.

I'm just glad these folks have the benefit of editors. Just think how crappy it would be if they didn't.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at August 30, 2005 09:02 AM