Iraqi soccer captain: "I want America out of Iraq, tomorrow."

I found this pretty compelling - Iraq wins a soccer match, but two very different versions of reporting. This is classic example of an American version of a story and the rest-of-the-world version of a story.

Take a look and see how CNN and Reuters (the British version of AP) cover the same story. Pretty different angles, aren't they? Of course, the following excerpt received virtually no coverage, at least on TV, where an overwhelming majority of Americans get their news. From AP via Yahoo: (H/T C&L)

Iraq won the Asian for the first time Sunday, a beacon of hope for a nation divided by war.

Iraq's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on a 71st-minute header by captain Younis Mahmoud was an inspirational triumph for a team whose players straddle bitter and violent ethnic divides. After the game, Mahmoud called for the United States to withdraw its troops from his nation.

"I want America to go out," he said. "Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn’t invade Iraq and, hopefully, it will be over soon."

Mahmoud also said he will not return to Iraq to celebrate.

"I don't want the Iraqi people to be angry with me," he said. "If I go back with the team, anybody could kill me or try to hurt me."

If you think I'm exaggerating about Iraq media coverage, check out the news on any non-Fox News station the next time there's major news from Iraq. Yes, there has been some unflattering stories in the American media about the war, but it's been nothing compared to what the rest of the world is seeing. Since the War in Iraq began, whenever bad news from Iraq is in the American media, Republicans and the neocons have constantly, bitterly complained about how the media hypes all the bad news. Unreal. Maybe it's because there's not much good news, but also it's just flat-out untrue. There are so many examples of how the American media has virtually gone to sleep during this war, all in the name of...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS.

The Iraqi soccer victory is just one example of an American media that has its head where the sun doesn't shine.

Yesterday, I read an extensive news report about how the number of American combat troops killed in action in July were the lowest in eight months. Of course, this will no doubt be flogged by the American press and Republican politicians as "progress" and maybe even "winning the war" or "turning the tide" or "the surge is working." However, the fact still remains that 75 Americans lost their lives last month for a civil war in Iraq. Period. And for what?

Oh, and one more thing about last month - How many Iraqis died? Has anyone in the American media reported it? That's a big fat NO. Many Americans probably don't even care, either, and that's the saddest thing of all. I know more than a few people who would say, "Who the (blank) cares? They're just rag heads."

And we wonder why many in the world hate us. We've brought more destruction and death upon the citizens of Iraq than three Saddam Husseins, yet the neocons and Bush still keep beating away on their drums that we are "bringing Democracy to the Middle East."

Exta! Extra! Story about Mitt's ancestors (Yes, really)

It looks like Barack Obama isn't the only one being victimized by stupid reporting about his religion and background. This morning, I read something on AP that had me laughing. Here's part of a story about Mitt Romney's ancestors:

Polygamy was not just a historical footnote, but a prominent element in the family tree of the former Massachusetts governor now seeking to become the first Mormon president.

Romney's great-grandfather, Miles Park Romney, married his fifth wife in 1897. That was more than six years after Mormon leaders banned polygamy and more than three decades after a federal law barred the practice.

Romney's great-grandmother, Hannah Hood Hill, was the daughter of polygamists. She wrote vividly in her autobiography about how she "used to walk the floor and shed tears of sorrow" over her own husband's multiple marriages.

Romney's great-great grandfather, Parley Pratt, an apostle in the church, had 12 wives. In an 1852 sermon, Parley Pratt's brother and fellow apostle, Orson Pratt, became the first church official to publicly proclaim and defend polygamy as a direct revelation from God.

Romney's father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, where Mormons fled in the 1800s to escape religious persecution and U.S. laws forbidding polygamy. He and his family did not return to the United States until 1912, more than two decades after the church issued "The Manifesto" banning polygamy.

"When you read the family's history, you realize how important polygamy was to them," said Todd Compton, a Mormon and independent historian who wrote a book about the polygamous life of the church's founder, Joseph Smith. "They left America and started again as pioneers, after they had done it over and over again previously."

B. Carmon Hardy, a polygamy expert and retired history professor at California State University-Fullerton, said polygamy was "a very important part of Miles Park Romney's family."

Hardy added: "Now, very gradually, as you moved farther away from it, it became less a part of it. But during the time of Miles Park Romney, it was an essential principle of the Romney family life."

And exactly how is this relevant to Mitt's life now, or his candidacy for president? It should come as no surprise that I feel this is total, steaming b.s.; I don't think candidates should be harshly judged on what they did in their childhoods, much less what their ancestors did 100-150 years ago.

This is such a freakin' non-story. I wouldn't vote for Romney for many other reasons (his McCain-like penchant for switching sides on issues for political benefit chief among them), but what the heck his ancestors did or believed in surly is no reason to not vote for someone.

For instance, it's quite possible that a few of my ancestors participated in slavery in some way. I don't know, and I don't care, but if some enterprising reporter decided to dig into it, it's certainly possible that proof could be found. So, if I'm a candidate for dog catcher and that story breaks, does that mean I support(ed) slavery? C'mon - this is so stupid.

Romney is probably shaking his head this morning, just like I am and probably millions of other people.

I wonder when these idiotic and moronic news channels are going to get around to real reporting?

I'm not holding my breath.