Not Reporting: Zarqawi Dead, Press Protects America From Over Celebrating

Everybody is talking about the wonderful news that Abu Musab al Zarqawi has been killed. To sensible people the storyline is quite clear: persistent American troops finally kill a rapacious murderer, a source of inspiration and strategy for the Iraqi terrorists has been removed, and at the very least some respite from terror attacks is likely, even if al Qaeda produces another leader in the future. That is the sensible response, but the MSM is not sensible.

At Sweetness & Light, a set of curiously timed articles from Reuters. At 8:08 am ET last night, the announcement. At 8:09 am ET, this headline: "Futures fall despite Zarqawi," referring to the stock market. Then, at 8:28 am ET, news that the peacenik father of Zarqawi victim Nicholas Berg thinks, as is the peacenik tendency, that this will only cause more violence. (This was also reported by the Washington Post).

As Sweetness & Light says, "It’s almost as if our media had had his and other stories ready to go, to tamp down any satisfaction at finally killing this serial murderer."

By the way, here's a quote from Nicholas Berg's father Michael Berg, who is running for Congress on the "watch me preen" ticket:

"I was against war in 1965," Berg wrote [on his campaign website]. "I was against it in 1991. I was against it in 2003. And I have been especially against it since May 10, 2004, when I learned that my son Nick, who had been in Iraq to help with the reconstruction effort, had been brutally murdered. The cost of war is too high."

UPDATE: More reporters not reporting, from Michelle Malkin:

Dumbest question from the WH press briefing:

Will the Zarqawi success help the President on immigration?

Snow's response (with admirable restraint, but detectable contempt): "I don't know."

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