Department of Really Bad Analogies

From an AP story on the wires right now:

GOP losses could spark partisan warfare

WASHINGTON - The White House is bracing for guerrilla warfare on the homefront politically if Republicans lose control of the House, the Senate or both — and with it, the president's ability to shape and dominate the national agenda.

Let's see, 83 US troops dead in Iraq so far this month. Another AP story contains these paragraphs:

In all Sunday, at least 44 Iraqis were killed or their bodies were founded dumped along roads or in the Tigris River. While the number was not high by the grim standards of the more than 3 1/2-year war, the timing and targets revealed a brutal disregard for the sanctity and meaning of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which is to Muslims what Christmas is to Christians.

Sunday's killings raised to at least 950 the number of Iraqis who have died in war-related violence this month, an average of more than 40 a day. The toll is on course to make October the deadliest month for Iraqis since April 2005, when The Associated Press began tracking the deaths.

Until this month, the daily average had been about 27. The AP count includes civilians, government officials and police and security forces, and is considered a minimum based on AP reporting. The actual number is likely higher, as many killings go unreported.

The United Nations has said at least 100 Iraqis are now killed daily.

What will happen in the US government should Democrats retake the House, the Senate, or both, is not "guerrilla warfare." It's democracy and justice.

Shame on the AP for allowing a story with that headline and lede to go out over the wires while real people are bleeding and dying in real war.

(Update: 7:50 pm) - Looks like at least one AP editor agrees. The headline has now been changed to read "Bush braces for fight if GOP loses House"; but the lede remains the same.

(Update 2: 9:10 pm) - Yet another new headline from AP: "White House bracing for loss of Congress."


(Update 3: 9:50 am) - The latest revision of this story, timestamped 6:18 am, reverts back to the original, offensive headline. How sad.