Competing headlines from today's wires:

Fallujah Death Toll for Week More Than 600(1)

and

Bush: 'What We're Doing in Iraq Is Right'(2)

"Bush prays for a drop in Iraq casualties"(2b)*

note: (2b) from The San Jose Mercury News originally said
"Bush: What We're Doing in Iraq is Right" as well when it was initially posted about 8 hours ago. What do you think is more likely, that the Mercury News editors were concerned about not seeming original, or that someone from the GOP leaned on them, someone, perhaps, whose job it is to scour the net for Bush headlines and call editors and bitch advocate when an unfriendly turn of phrase is spotted? If it's someone from the white house, we're paying his salary. If you think I protest too much, take note of this skimble post and the accompanying NY Times article, which originally said,


President Bush, vacationing in Texas, conferred with his advisers today on the surge in bloodshed in Iraq and what to do or say about it.

now it says

Today's discussion among the president and his senior advisers took place in the middle of a crucial week for the administration.

*In the Mercury News article, Bush said:

"It was a tough week last week," speaking at an Army base that lost at least nine soldiers in recent days. Some 50 U.S. soldiers were killed in action in Iraq last week in addition to nearly 900 Iraqis...

and

"My prayers and thoughts are with those who paid the ultimate price for our security," he said.

Asked whether he expected the violence to abate soon, Bush said: "It's hard to tell. I know this, that we're plenty tough, and we'll remain tough."

[so that's the reason they changed the headline! after all, 600 Iraqis dead in a week is ok, but nearly 900 is a mite ...unpalatable? Still, they hated freedom, every last one of them, especially the kids, and it is Easter... so it's a good thing the president didn't pray for them. After all,what would people think?]