Its hard to work up the slightest bit of sympathy

for Newsweek over the whole Koran flushing story. Admittedly White House Press Secretary Scot McClellan is carrying on like these alleged riots in Afghanistan are the Reichstag Fire or something. But any sane sensible Washington newsperson has to know by now that La Famiglia Arbusto has a famously adversarial relationship with the press and will exploit any misreported story for their own personal aggrandizement.
Isikoff, Fineman and that whole crowd at Newsweek don't get that. They think its still 1998 and they can print whatever they want sans reproach...they don't realize the easygoing days of Bill Clinton are over for good. Big Bush is Watching Them.
Today they are faced with an Admin that really hates the press and will actively work to undermine even those journalists who are nominally on Bush's side.
Why?
Because beating down Newsweek sends a message to world, "look what do to our friends, you are next!"
For Bush et al, the press can never be too cowed or too frightened.
These poor naive fools...