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The Army missed its February recruiting goal by more than 27%, even as it offers its largest enlistment bonuses ever: up to $20,000 to some recruits willing to sign on for four years. So why the low numbers? Why, it's the media's fault -- for telling us that Americans are being killed in Iraq!

According to Lawrence Di Rita, the chief Pentagon spokesman:

"I mean, without question, when there's the kind of coverage that there has been about casualties - and we certainly mourn all the casualties, but they are covered, there's prominent media coverage of casualties in Iraq - parents factor those kinds of things in to what they want their children doing."

Well, then reporting this type of news is just irresponsible troop-hating, isn't it?

A growing number of U.S. troops whose body armor helped them survive bomb and rocket attacks are suffering brain damage as a result of the blasts. ... From January 2003 to this January, 437 cases of [traumatic brain injury] were diagnosed among wounded soldiers at the Army hospital, Lux says. Slightly more than half had permanent brain damage. ... The wound may come to characterize this war, much the way illnesses from Agent Orange typified the Vietnam War, doctors say.

The number of American dead passed the 1,500 mark this week.