VOICE OF REASON. Folks who are attacking Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena for suggesting that American troops deliberately shot up her car ought to read H.D.S. Greenway's reasoned take in today's Globe. Greenway writes:

Giuliana Sgrena's suggestion that the Americans might have targeted her car isn't credible. But given that she had just been released from a harrowing month in captivity only to be shot by Americans, a little emotional hyperbole is understandable.

Unless there's new information, that pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

NOT KOSHER. A press release came in over the fax machine from Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) ripping Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Sam Brownback, and Rick Santorum for wanting to spend $90 million to study the effects of television on children. Check out this sentence:

CAGW named Sen. Lieberman Porker of the Month when he introduced the same legislation in August, 2004.

Oof. As Lieberman himself might say: Is this a great country or what?

METRO LINER. The New York Times Company's bid to acquire 49 percent of Boston's Metro has become official, with the Justice Department reportedly rejecting the Herald's contention that the deal would violate antitrust law. (The Times Company owns the Globe, don't you know.)

Herald coverage here; Globe coverage here.

ALTERMAN V. GLOBE, CONT'D. I wrapped up my coverage of the dispute between Eric Alterman and the Globe two weeks ago. (Click here, scroll to the bottom, and click on "Page 3.") Nevertheless, it's worth noting that Alterman has now written about the dispute in the pages of the Nation, where he is the media critic.