Congressman: Paper Distorted Iraq Comment

Seattle, Washington (AP) - Rep. George Nethercutt has taken out advertisements in three of the state's biggest newspapers, saying the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ``deliberately distorted'' and even ``massacred'' a comment he made about American efforts in Iraq.

The dispute stems from remarks the Republican congressman and U.S. Senate candidate made at a forum at the University of Washington on Oct. 13. He said the reconstruction of Iraq is ``a bigger and better and more important story than losing a couple of soldiers every day which, which heaven forbid is awful,'' according to a transcript from his speech.

The Post-Intelligencer quoted him the next day as saying: ``The story of what we've done in the post-war period is remarkable. ... It is a better and more important story than losing a couple of soldiers every day.''

The story went on to say that Nethercutt ``added that he did not want any more soldiers to be killed.''

Nethercutt didn't like the way he was quoted. He took out three-quarter-page ads Tuesday in the P-I, The Seattle Times, The Spokesman-Review in Spokane and the congressional newspaper Roll Call, arguing that by not using his full quote, the P-I deliberately made him sound indifferent to the deaths of American soldiers.

``I grieve for the loss of every American service member, and to imply otherwise is shameful,'' Nethercutt wrote. ``That's the lowest form of so-called journalism.''

The newspaper stands by the report.

``We believe that in the story in question, the quotes attributed to Congressman Nethercutt were 100 percent accurate in content, context and meaning,'' Executive Editor Kenneth F. Bunting said Tuesday.

Nethercutt, a five-term congressman, is running against Democratic Sen. Patty Murray in next year's election.