On Zarqawi's Death - Watch the Spin

This is good news: "Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Killed in Air Raid"- it's good because from all acounts this man was responsible for the slaughter of innocents and the killing of American troops. It's good because a bad guy was taken out.

Considering that hours later two car bombs killed 19 and injured 40 and that the Iraqi violence is largely sectarian in nature and that the insurgency seems well-entrenched, it's reasonable to assume that this won't dull the violence. That's the consensus in all the blog and news coverage I've seen so far. The administration is also being cautious about predicting a downturn in violence.

What this is not about is Bush's poll numbers. So let's see how long it takes for the DC punditry and media talkers to start playing up the effect on Bush's personal ratings. Let's see if the rightwing noise machine uses it to attack liberals and Democrats. Let's see how hastily polls are cobbled together to show a Bush 'bounce'.

Where the spin is headed isn't clear from the blogs in these early hours; most bloggers on the left and right are taking a reasoned approach, rightly cheering Zarqawi's death but cautious about its net effect. Still, several rightwingers can't help taking cheap shots:

Hugh Hewitt goes after a diarist on dKos who expresses doubt that this will reduce the violence and calls it the "Daily Kos response."

Dr. Sanity also pretends that this post is somehow an 'official' Kos response and writes, "Kos: Who cares?"

Gateway Pundit says, "And, just think, this was only possible because the Murtha "cut and run" plan was avoided."

Mark in Mexico lists a few comments from AMERICAblog as evidence of the reaction of the "loyal left".

Let's watch the spin as the news settles in...

UPDATE: Sure enough, CNN's Miles O'Brien and Ed Henry are talking about the smiles inside the Oval Office and wondering whether this will affect Bush's poll numbers.

UPDATE 2: 'Maverick' John McCain on MSNBC: "This may be a cautionary tale to those who want to cut and run.”

UPDATE 3: Some bloggers are pointing out that the White House is in a tough spot. If this is a fatal blow to the insurgency, then when are we getting out of Iraq? If it isn't, then Bush's 'victory' is even more elusive than we think it is.

UPDATE 4: Greg Sargent notes, "The righty bloggers are using the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to engage in a savage tormenting of the father of Nick Berg, who was beheaded by al-Zarqawi some time ago."

UPDATE 5: CNN's Candy 'Green tea' Crowley maintained journalistic neutrality by calling Bush's remarks "pitch-perfect."