From 'Cool' to 'Preening'

In my recent book on Iraq and the media, So Wrong for So Long, I tried to do some of this:  Glenn Greenwald over at Salon contrasts today's Joe Klein putdown of George W. Bush's flight-suit landing on the aircraft carrier on MIssion Accomplished day  with Klein wrote back in 2003.  Today:  "ridiculous, preening appearance."  Back then:  "that was probably the coolest presidential image since Bill Pullman played the jet fighter pilot in the movie Independence Day. That was the first thing that came to mind for me. And it just shows you how high a mountain these Democrats are going to have to climb."  -- Greg Mitchell