The Associated Press, Chris Graff, Vermont, and Prez Bush

Those of the Vermont persuasion have undoubtedly heard of Chris Graff and the brouhaha raised here since the AP bureau chief for Vermont, Chris Graff, was canned summarily on Monday. This 30-year veteran is well regarded by politicians and the public of all parties (and non-parties) and his firing prompted politicos like Pat Leahy, Jim Jeffords, Bernie Sanders, and Jim Douglas to ask the AP to reconsider. See the story here.

Why was Graff fired? Really good question and the AP has stayed fairly mum on it. It seems to boil down to Graff's decision to place a column by Leahy that was critical of President Bush on the AP wire as part of Sunshine Week (celebrating the Freedom of Information Act). After he did, the AP pulled the article and told papers NOT to use the article if they already had it. Then Graff was fired on the spot.

This is rather ironic considering Mr. Bush, when not blaming the press for Iraq this week, has been saying how wonderful it is to have a free press... one free to say what it wants so long as it touts what he wants them to say.

But the story obviously has national and even international implications. While the story has been discussed widely on Vermont blogs like Green Mountain Daily and PoliticsVT, it has also appeared nationally. Editor and Publisher, for example, carried the story this week. G