AP Washington Bureau led by Rove lover

Many here, including yours truly, were continually amazed by the the Associated Press' shameless parroting of outlandish "Adminstration" positions during the run-up to, and the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq.

But now, in a few paragraphs, the indefatigable Dan Froomkin quotes an email exchange between Ron Fournier, who pathetically is now the AP Washington Bureau Chief, and Karl Rove  in which Fournier demonstrates his clear support of Rove's "fight."

The quote is on the flip.

Fournier-Rove exchange circa 2004:

And here's some new evidence of the coziness between White House reporters and officials.

Lindlaw writes: ""The committee cited one exchange between White House political chief Karl Rove and Ron Fournier, then a political reporter for The Associated Press.

"In a chain under the subject line 'H-E-R-O,' Rove replied to an e-mail from Fournier by saying, 'How does our country continue to produce men and women like this?'

"Fournier replied, 'The Lord creates men and women like this all over the world. But only the great and free countries allow them to flourish. Keep up the fight.'

"Fournier, now the AP's acting Washington bureau chief, said Monday: 'I was an AP political reporter at the time of the 2004 e-mail exchange, and was interacting with a source, a top aide to the president, in the course of following an important and compelling story. I regret the breezy nature of the correspondence.'"

Gag me with a spoon.  

I don't know what's worse, the reference to "The Lord" creating men and women to fight wars, or the fact that Fournier calls the correspondence "breezy."

Bizarre.

And scary.

And totally unprofessional.