Good catch. I missed the "occupied" part--but then there was already so much to work with in this brief caption. As I mentiond in my DailyKos comment, the caption suggested not only philosophical opposition, but literal, physical opposition to this pro-troop protester and thus presumably the troops as well. You may be right about the writer's intention, though.

Perhaps Judy Miller has a new job at the Times--or Michael Gordon has been demoted?

No one panic, all is well, things are going swimmingly, our Great Leader is all-knowing and all-wise, he can make no mistake, any mission that he sends our Glorious Troops--who are more than happy to die for him and his Great Cause--on is self-evidently justified, necessary and wonderful. Why, I'd join up myself if it weren't for that big carbuncle on my fat ass! And I do wish they'd change the Department of Defense back to the Department of War, because clearly that's what it's for--to wage endless war on anyone and everyone that our Great Leader feels is our Mortal Enemy! Clearly, a liberal scheme to deceive the Glorious American People!

And don't believe those awful liberal lies about how he's failed to equip them with adequate body and vehicle armor and provide them with counter-insurgency and policing training. It was liberals who infiltrated the ranks and purposely stole that body armor and those armored humvees, and I'm pretty certain tipped the Jihadis off as to when and where convoys would be coming through. And anyway, it does a man good to lose an arm or limb or parts of his brain, or for his loved ones to get a visit from the military--builds character, you know!

So don't believe those traitorous liberals who claim to have helped win two world wars, overthrown a brutal Balkan dictator and brought peace and stability to that region--they're all lies! Only our Great and Glorious Leader and his Great and Gloriously Patriotic Republic Party--who were so concerned with our country's future in their youths that they had to make the ultimate sacrifice of forgoing military service themselves, for which they clearly deserve medals--can protect our Great Nation from the Terrible Muslofascist Evildoers who lurk behind every madrassah, shoe store and New Jersey paint ball shop! Glory be to he! A pox on liberals!

On yesterday's This Week on ABC, LA Times reporter Ron Brownstein referred to an unnamed recent "detailed" poll on national security from an unnamed new "think tank" that showed that Americans "still trusted Republicans more to keep the country safe on most questions".

Well, I don't know which poll or think tank he was referring to--and his not naming either clearly undermines his assertion and credibility (has the accepted usage of anonymous sources now been extended to such absurd limits?). But a recent Rasmussen Reports tracking survey showed the exact opposite on every single security-related question. I.e. it showed that Americans actually trusted Democrats more to protect the country.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/...

...democrats_trusted_more_than_republicans_on_10_key_issues

(remove both "..." and the linefeed to get the complete address)

Democrats Trusted More Than Republicans on 10 Key Issues

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Democrats are currently trusted more than Republicans on all ten issues measured in Rasmussen Reports tracking surveys. Democrats even have slight advantages on National Security and Taxes, two issues “owned” by Republicans during the generation since Ronald Reagan took office.

On National Security, 46% now trust Democrats more while 43% prefer the GOP. On taxes, the Democrats have a five point advantage, 47% to 42%. Democrats enjoy double digit advantages on ethics and government corruption, the War in Iraq, Immigration, Education, Social Security, and Healthcare

What an ass Brownstein is, ignoring other polls from known polling firms and citing an unnamed poll from an unnamed "think tank" to back up false assertions. Every poll I've seen since last year has Dems more trusted on every single issue, including national security, over Repubs. He's clearly carrying water for someone here, probably because his bosses at the unfortunately now right-leaning LA Times told him to. This is our contemporary establishmen media, folks. Literally making shit up to favor their establishment political allies.