I think every politician in modern memory has claimed the media was out to discredit their agenda. They're all a bunch of whining panzies as far as I'm concerned .

I do not think it is any different in this war than others....the instigators of the war want to paint a rosey picture to justify the fact that they started the war and the press wants to report what sells the most newspapers (bad news). The media is not out to get the republican party - it is out to make a buck. And Rumsfeld is not out to give the American people a clear message about how the war is going - it is in his best interest (and in the administration's best interest) to always make it appear that there is improvement. I think we have to take both with a little (OK, maybe a lot) skepticism.