Now that we have the Key Points of the 2006 NIE to look at we see once again that the MSM and the Democrats have once again proved the Donkey to be an appropriate symbol.

First we have Katherine Shrader and Jennifer Loven – both of which are notorious “editorialist for the left”, writing in their screed today.

“”The war in Iraq has become a “cause celebre” for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that probably will get worse before it gets better, federal intelligence analysts conclude in a report at odds with President Bush’s portrayal of a world growing safer.”

In the bleak report, declassified and released Tuesday on Bush’s orders, the nation’s most veteran analysts conclude that despite serious damage to the leadership of al-Qaida, the threat from Islamic extremists has spread both in numbers and in geographic reach.”

Really? “Bleak” eh? ¬† I quess like Jennifer and Katherine forgot that it also says, “United States counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership of Al Qaida and disrupted it’s operations” and after the “cause celebre”, it says, “Should Jihadist leaving Iraq percieve themselves, and be percieved, to have failed, we judge FEWER fighters will be inspired¬† to carry on the fight”

The fact is that the left ran with a leak on Sunday and yesterday Bush called their bluff.¬† The result, “Damage Control”, which is what they’ve been on anyway since Clinton stuck his foot in that big old mouth on Sunday.

In this editorial in the NY Times you can see the insantity continue, where the writer continues the misinformation campaign by trying to suggest that Bush released the NIE key judgements for “political purposes”.¬† Excuse me, and the leak and publishing of an unconfirmed and now discredited story by the Times over the weekend was for?

What you are witnessess is a complete and utter emotional and rational breakdown happening on the left.  They can see now that they are beginning to lose (as they always have) on all fronts of an discussion because they never engage on facts, but on emotions and fantasy.

I’m surprised I haven’t seen them blame Karl Rove for leaking the NIE story, “Damn it, he set us up again!”

Also give a look at Hugh Hewitt’s take down of Newsweak’s Johnathan Alter-Reality.

UPDATE: Clarice Feldman, awards the “Chutzpah Prize” to the NY Times Editorial Board.

UPDATE II: For more perspective on DNC operative at the AP Jennifer Loven, you only have to see who she is married to – one Roger Ballantine of Green Strategies. Check out his working record, and campaign associations