The AP, having completely ignored the actual charges of the Swift Boat Veterans, and especially the Cambodian charge has finally produced a report detailing the Democratic rebuttal. The Kerry campaign, faced with about 437 different Cambodian stories, ranging from creative geography to the Khmer Rouge anticipating their cue by about 2 years, has helpfully provided no factual information whatsoever. The "Bush Truth Squad," led by Bob Graham, fell back on their existing talking point: "They're calling us unpatriotic, just like they did with Max Cleland." Which the AP repeated without question.

Look, I feel for the Kerry camp. Here they had a nice photo-op all set up in front of the Grand Canyon. And instead of getting to ask the public to imagine oil derricks the middle of the Colorado, today's lead is going to be about a swift boat taking on water. I know Kerry's trying to relive the past, but I don't think he wanted to suggest the phrase "Credibility Gap" quite so graphically.

There's a principle in sports: the referee never catches the foul, they always catch the retailiation. In this case, the AP is just approvingly reporting the retaliation.