Why is it a bad thing to pay for positive press in Iraqi newspapers? 

President Bush is under fire every day by those who hate him personally and politically.  He has stood up quite well, but occasionally shows signs of wear.  At those times he tries to appease his personal and political enemies.  On one of those occasions he stated that America would never pay for positive press.  That was a very big mistake.

America is being undermined daily by the Arabic press.  Al Jazeera broadcasts anything that Al Qaida demands.  The rest of the Arabic press writes condemnation after condemnation of our nation and our goals, all to serve either tyrannical Middle Eastern dictatorships or Islamic fascists.  As we attempt to give the Middle East an opportunity to progress beyond secular or religious tyranny, we have no real voice in the Arabic media.  By paying for positive press, we at least have a chance. 

The real question is this.  Are the stories that we are placing in the Arabic press true or false?  If we are lying in our stories, that would be bad.  If we are telling the truths that the press will not otherwise publish, that is good.  So far, the only evidence I have seen supports the idea that the stories published for dollars have been true.

Michael Moore writes anti-American propaganda and no one comments.  During World War II his writing would have been considered treasonous, in the same vein as Tokyo Rose.  Day after day the elite media publishes anti-American, potentially treasonous articles that weaken our national defense and our nation. No one cares.  But if Americans who are trying to win this war give an Iraqi newspaper a few dollars for publishing an article that is true and that supports our effort to bring democracy to the Middle East, America is condemned by the American and European left and by the islamofascists that are trying to kill us all.

This is one of those times for our President to stand tall; to tell the world that we will do whatever it takes to defeat the islamofascist enemy, and if that includes buying space in a Iraqi newspaper for a true story about what we are doing in Iraq, then we damn well will do it.  Period!