I'm off for the weekend -- I'll be back Monday night.

But first, I have a confession to make: I haven't read Rumsfeld's American Legion speech. I haven't read Bush's American Legion speech. Hell, I've only read excerpts of Keith Olbermann's Murrow-esque response to Rumsfeld.

I know -- I should get with the program. This is what's news -- administration speeches about war, not the actual wars we're fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is a remarkable accomplishment by the Bush administration: It's been able to repeal a herotofore inviolate law of law of journalism. "If it bleeds, it leads" -- that's not true anymore. In Iraq (and certainly in Afghanistan), if it bleeds, it doesn't lead. It's consigned to a quick sentence in a broadcast news summary or the inner pages of the morning paper. Hundreds of deaths and injuries a week are a footnote. Empty bombast gets the banner headlines.

Now the law is: If it orates from a balcony, it leads.

Not only are the speeches getting more prominent coverage than the fighting, but the announcement that the speeches were going to take place got more prominent coverage. This is nuts.

The press is under no obligation to treat the administrations ever more hysterical rhetorical variations on the same old themes as front-page news. By agreeing to do so, the press is as part of the GOP's campaign media operation -- and it's encouraging more and more irresponsible rhetoric.

Put these speeches on page A14. Put the troops on page 1.