A closer look at The Seattle Times and flag-draped coffins

Counterpunch makes a good point that The Seattle Times didn't necessarily have the best intentions when it ran the now-famous picture of coffins of US soldiers. What's easily forgotten -- even in Seattle -- is that the Times is trying to put the Seattle Post Intelligencer (definitely the more liberal paper of the two) out of business. If the Times's lawsuit to end its joint operating agreement with the PI is successful, the PI will effectively close its doors. By running the coffin pic, the Times is trying to soften its just-this-much-right-of-center positions, and paint itself just as progressive as the PI, when it becomes the only major paper in town.