----- Original Message ----- From: Doug Henwood To: lbo-talk Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 1:16 PM Subject: [lbo-talk] news management
Washington Post - April 8, 2005
In the Loop No News Is Good News
By Al Kamen Friday, April 8, 2005; Page A23
The Pentagon often whines about how the U.S. media only harp on the negative in Iraq. But there's some cheery, morale-building news about military-media relations in a recent internal Army study of its operations in the region around Mosul. <...>
Al Kamen's good... Here's a haha from a while back:
Simplifying the Pentagon Spreadsheet
By Al Kamen Friday, July 30, 2004; Page A17
Last fall, urged by the administration to get some fast cash to Baghdad, Congress approved a quick infusion of $18.4 billion. But as reported earlier this month, only 2 percent of the money had been spent.
The data came from an unclassified weekly Pentagon report called "Iraq Status." The reports show how reconstruction efforts are going and how the money was flowing. A page for the Pentagon project and contracting office had columns listing how much money had been "apportioned," "committed," "obligated" and spent in various aid categories.
The Washington Post article noted that, as of June 22, nothing had been spent on construction, health care, sanitation or water projects, and that more money had been spent on administration costs than education, human rights and governance.
Some folks on the Hill were most unhappy with this.
Subsequent reports showed improvement, with a total of $458 million spent as of the July 20 report, though nothing had been spent on roads, bridges, construction, health care, water resources or sanitation. The Hill was still grumpy.
Finally, this silliness has stopped. Someone at the Pentagon appears to have hit on a simple yet elegant solution to the problem. The latest (July 27) report has taken care of any concerns.
The column listing expenditures has disappeared.
Perfect. But a Pentagon spokesman says there are no secrets, and if you ask for the amount spent they'll be happy to tell you. It's now $668 million. <...> http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A25816-2004Jul29?language=printer [This link still works]