Clark Hoyt, Public Editor of the New York Times, writes:

Why Bush and the military are emphasizing Al Qaeda to the virtual exclusion of other sources of violence in Iraq is an important story. So is the question of how well their version of events squares with the facts of a murky and rapidly changing situation on the ground. But these are stories you haven’t been reading in The Times in recent weeks as the newspaper has slipped into a routine of quoting the president and the military uncritically about Al Qaeda’s role in Iraq — and sometimes citing the group itself without attribution.

The answer is simple. The leadership at the New York Times is lacking. The editorship has gone from bad to worse with the departure of the awful Howell Raines to be replaced by the awful Bill Keller. The Times' leadership simply will not rein in the Judy Milleresque elements in its news operations. Perhaps this wake up call from the Public Editor can help change things.