Follow the Bouncing Bush, Everyone!

As many around the blogosphere are noting this morning, the fact that Karl Rove managed to extricate his lip from the hook at the end of Patrick Fitzgerald's fishing line has inspired the media to begin chanting a new version of that old favorite, the "Bush-is-on-the-rebound" chorus. With that in mind, I've started a new press-criticism contest over at my blog, The Horse's Mouth, and I hope HuffPo readers and bloggers will join in from time to time.

The contest is called "Follow the Bouncing Bush."

The idea is simply this: To highlight the most absurd examples in the media of reporters or commentators straining to find whatever scraps of evidence they can find that President Bush is on the rebound.

Highlighted examples will be rated on a scale of one to five: the least offensive examples will be awarded "one" Bouncing Bush; while the most ridiculous and comical examples will earn the dubious award of "five" Bouncing Bushes. The feature will be posted when circumstances warrant, and will continue as long as the media plays this ridiculous Bush-recovery game. And even if Bush does in fact enjoy a rebound, the hunt will continue for media efforts to distort, inflate or exaggerate it.

And today's winner is...

The AFP wire service, for this headline and lede:

Democrats in disarray as Bush basks in glow of Iraq trip

U.S. President George W. Bush's triumphant return from his unannounced visit in Iraq found opposition Democrats more divided than ever on U.S. policy in the wartorn country, and how best to capitalize on administration missteps there.

Republicans basked in the afterglow of the president's dramatic lightning visit Tuesday to meet with Iraq's new Prime Minister Nuri Maliki -- an event likely to figure prominently in a daylong debate Thursday in the House of Representatives on Iraq and the US "war on terror." (Emphasis added.)

Guess what the evidence of this allegedly unprecedented Democratic disarray was? The fact that John Kerry and Hillary Clinton have different positions on Iraq -- the very same positions they've held for months! And that's it. Nor is there a mention of the appalling violence that took place after Zarqawi's death, which one might think would make Bush feel a bit less "triumphant" about Iraq.

For this, the story wins a grand total of Five Bouncing Bushes.

As I said before, I welcome HuffPo readers and bloggers to the gaming table. If you have good nominations, I'd love to see 'em.

Adapted from a post at The Horse's Mouth.