I assume Ive written

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I assume I’ve written enough positive stuff about President Bush’s conduct of this war that I can say the following with some measure of credibility: It’s a very, very bad decision for the media consortium to cancel the publication of their comprehensive analysis of voting results from last year’s presidential election in Florida.

What’s even more disturbing is that the story is only being reported in news outlets outside the United States. Here’s an article about it in Canada’s Globe and Mail, which was picked up by a couple regional papers in the US.

As much of a firebrand as I am on last year’s election, I am perfectly willing to concede that this may not be the time to rehash this controversy — especially if, as has been rumored, it cuts strongly in Al Gore’s direction. A delay may be in order, but we’re still a democracy. Knowing what really happened last year still counts, a lot.

And the apparent decision of many news organizations not even to announce the cancellation of the study points less to a concern for the national interest than a less appealing desire not to offend.

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