If You Ever Needed Evidence of Conservative Media Bias...

Check out this AP lead from today:

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaeda, an assertion that has been repeatedly challenged by some policy experts and lawmakers.

Last I checked, this hasn't been "challenged by some" - it has NEVER BEEN PROVEN WITH ANY EVIDENCE AT ALL. Cheney has not provided one shred of actual evidence to substantiate his charge and has been reprimanded by the CIA for citing inaccurate documents to "prove" his charge. Yet, Cheney's charge is allowed to fly out there, and the AP makes it seem as if only a smattering of wonks disagree. Here is Knight-Ridder's more accurate story from March:

"Nearly a year after U.S. and British troops invaded Iraq, no evidence has turned up to verify allegations of Saddam's links with al-Qaida, and several key parts of the administration's case have either proved false or seem increasingly doubtful. Senior U.S. officials now say there never was any evidence that Saddam's secular police state and Osama bin Laden's Islamic terrorism network were in league."
- Knight-Ridder, 3/02/04

For more, see the Claim vs. Fact database and look at the topic "Iraq-Al Qaeda links"