And now the news from the DNC

The Associated Press, in its story announcing tonight's presidential press conference [HERE], simply could not play it straight. Smack dab in the middle (actually, way before the middle), we find this "news":

A prime-time audience for what amounts to a speech at the top of the session allows Bush to seek to move the focus of public attention away from the alleged ethical improprieties of a key White House ally in Congress, House Majority Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and the troubled nomination of Bush's choice to be the next U.N. ambassador, John Bolton. Both controversies have dominated talk in the nation's Capital in recent weeks.

Where did this come from? Are we to believe that the AP is privy to the inner councils of the administration, and is therefore aware that this is the President's real motive? Or has the AP broken the encrypted WiFi signal Karl Rove uses to program Mr. Bush?

Here AP does not even use the usual fig leaf by quoting unnamed "sources," or "some commentators." And it's not even an opinion, for goodness sake. An opinion would be something along the lines of "Some of the President's opponents have questioned the wisdom of partial privatization, the only specific suggestion he has so far put forward." Instead, AP stoops to flat out political hatchetry, gratuitously questioning the President's motives.

Certainly we can agree that one of the most important domestic issues facing America today is the looming financial crisis of Social Security. Most understand that over the coming decades, the Social Security system will pay out more in benefits than the revenues now assigned to it, and that the gap will widen under current rules. Thus, benefits must be cut, revenues increased, or some combination.

In this context, the President of the United States announces that he will have a press conference tonight, it is reported that he will set out some specific ideas to address Social Security, and the Associated Press sneers that it's all a matter of political tactics (and, by the way, does the AP Style Book require that "Tom DeLay" always appears in the same sentence as "ethical improprieties," and "John Bolton" with "troubled nomination?") Perhaps tomorrow's follow-up piece can be "Nation Cool to President's Proposals, Cynical Electorate Suspects Political Ploy."

Perhaps we ought not be surprised. The AP reporter, Jennifer Loven, is a serial hack, and has come to the attention of the intrepid PowerLine fellows before [HERE].