ANN ALTHOUSE is irked -- "disgusted," actually -- by the following AP lede.

President Bush, buffeted by unrelenting criticism at home over Iraq, on Monday saluted Mongolia's "fearless warriors" for helping his embattled effort to establish democracy in the heart of the Middle East.

Needless to say, it's that "buffeted by..." clause that's got Ms. Althouse's not inconsiderable dander up, and, frankly, her point's well taken; like Filboid Studge, that kind of commentary -- er, analysis -- in so-called "straight news" reporting can be awfully hard to choke down first thing in the morning.

That said, though, it's also worth noting that partisans on both sides (and I'm not referring to Ms. Althouse here, just making a general observation) tend to develop a bit of a Lone Ranger complex about these things. So, in a perhaps vain effort to help our conservative friends keep Mr Bush's current, rather skeptical press coverage in perspective, let's briefly revisit a classic New York Times "straight news" lede from 1994, penned by none other than then-White House correspondent Maureen Dowd:

President Clinton returned today for a sentimental journey to the university where he didn't inhale, didn't get drafted, and didn't get a degree.

Now, let's be honest. President Bush has never been treated that way on the front page of a major American daily. And that's all to the good, I say; two wrongs don't make a right and all that. But, please, don't try to tell those of us who have been around this block a time or two that President Bush's trials and tribulations are unique. They aren't. Or at least they won't be unless he someday sees a lede like this:

President Bush returned today for a sentimental journey to the country where he didn't plan for the occupation, didn't have an exit strategy, and didn't find WMD.

Until then, I really don't think Mr. Bush and his supporters have much to complain about.

UPDATE: I meant to mention this somewhere above, but I'm afraid it slipped my increasingly enfeebled mind. If you haven't been reading Ann Althouse's droll, almost Dorothy Parker-ish posts on the recently-launched OSM, you're really missing a bet. Just head on over to the Althouse archives and start scrolling.