A front-page "Man in the News" profile of Colin Powell in today's New York Times reports that "Although he wrote in his memoirs that he knew the Vietnam War was pointless, he completed two tours of combat duty."
Here's what General Powell actually wrote in his memoirs about his feelings leaving Vietnam after his first tour there: "In spite of my misgivings, I was leaving the country still a true believer. I had experienced disappointment, not disillusionment. I remained convinced that it was right to help South Vietnam remain independent, and right to draw the line against communism anywhere in the world. The ends were justified, even if the means were flawed."
Though later in the memoir General Powell is even more ambivalent about the war, it's inaccurate to portray him as having completed two combat tours "although" he knew the war was pointless. After the first tour, he still had a pretty good idea of the war's point, as his memoirs make clear.
Missing Mario: The City section of today's New York Times serves up a long and loving profile of Mario Cuomo, written in a way that gives readers the sense that the Times actually misses the governor. The article paraphrases Mr. Cuomo, unchallenged, claiming that Governor Pataki is interested only in helping the rich. And it concludes with a quote from an anonymous stranger, who, the Times claims, grabbed Mr. Cuomo's arm after a recent speaking engagement and whispered, "My only regret is that you're not running for president."
Lost in Russia: The lead article in the Sunday Styles section of today's New York Times is about Americans who seek wives in Russia. The article twice refers to a Russian city known as "St. Petersberg." Elsewhere in the article, the Times spells the city's name correctly, as St. Petersburg. Any off-the-shelf spell-checking software could catch this, never mind all the high-paid copy editors over at the World's Supposedly Greatest Newspaper.
"George P. Schultz": An article in the national section about what General Powell will mean for the State Department and American foreign policy refers to "former Secretary of State George P. Schultz." Again, this is just inexcusable sloppiness. The Times goes through the effort of including Mr. Shultz's middle initial, but it can't seem to grasp the fact that he spells his name without a "c." What is it with the Times that it can't spell names correctly?