Another Story Missing from National News

Must have been dropped in favor Veterans Day stories with a George Bush photo-op abusing recovering war veterans while he plays video games or reports from outside a courthouse for the latest Brittney Spears and O.J. Simpson appearances.

Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced:

When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed.

At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world's only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders.

That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory.

American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board.

By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

Actually, there are probably 500 billion reasons for the story's absence -- the $500 billion Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations Bill just passed by Congress.