AP and Washington Post lies about Palin over Iraq remarks.

Politics: If it was just one I would call it stupid but two different sources trying to pull a stunt like this is just deliberate lying to push their own agenda.

Washington Post's Anne E. Kornblut: Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans." The idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. But it is widely agreed that militants allied with al-Qaeda have taken root in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion. "America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001," she said at the deployment ceremony, which drew hundreds of military families who walked from their homes on the sprawling post to the airstrip where the service was held.

AP's BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE:

"At a deployment ceremony on the seventh anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, she spoke in her capacity as governor and not as a political candidate. She had been invited to speak long before GOP presidential candidate John McCain chose her as his running mate. In her speech to the troops and their families, she linked the terrorist attacks to the Iraq war — a claim no longer supported by the Bush administration. She told the troops headed to Iraq that they would "be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced from the death of thousands of Americans." Claims that Iraq shared responsibility for the attacks with al-Qaida were once promoted by administration officials, but have since been rejected, even by President Bush. "You'll be there because America can never go back to that false sense of security that existed before Sept. 11, 2001," she said. "You will be there to win, you will see victory."

Did I miss the declaration of war against the Iraqi government? She is clearly talking about terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda. You can tell Kornblut and Blackledge took the remarks and ran with it, evne Kornblut acknowledges the "militants" but still threw in the Iraq connection which makes zero sense in context of Gov. Palin's remarks.

First Read filed those remarks and did not make such a stupid link.

Gov. Sarah Palin said goodbye to about 4,000 troops bound for Iraq Thursday, including her eldest son, at a deployment ceremony for the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “You’ll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans,” she said. “American can never go back to that false sense of security that came before Sept. 11, 2001.”

Update# What is even worse is the Kornblut passage is a revision of an even worst hit job.

The original: The idea that Iraq shared responsibility with al-Qaeda for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. On any other day, Palin's statement would almost certainly have drawn a sharp rebuke from Democrats, but both parties had declared a halt to partisan activities to mark Thursday's anniversary."

Update#2: NYTIMES pulled the same stunt but they were a lot more slick about it than Wash Post and AP.