Practice Makes Perfect: Bush "drills" the troops before tele-conference...!

[Ben Franklin]

Bush has a rehearsed tele-conference with US troops in Iraq

News: WikiNews

Bush has a rehearsed tele-conference with US troops in Iraq

The live presidential video teleconference held Thursday by George Bush with U.S. troops stationed in Iraq drew fire from critics and even some Pentagon military leaders.

An on-camera shot before the teleconference went live showed Allison Barber, the deputy assistant defense secretary, coaching 10 soldiers on broad topics to which the president would want questions directed; then rehearsed their actions on camera and reminded them of what questions were assigned to each soldier.

The director of Operation Truth, a New York-based advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, described the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt".

"If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference," Paul Rieckhoff said. "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."

© source where applicable

I think Steadele would agree, were he here now...

[The Laughing Man]

You need to provide a link.

But in any case, this latest attempt to smear President Bush is pure bull that's being hyped by the MSM and liberals. The spin is incredible. It's evident in the OP: "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains." Yeah, whatever. Then when President Bush talks to "the boots on the ground" - as if the captains aren't going through the same thing as everyone else - they'll move the goalposts again.

It's also hypocritical to the extreme for the media to be touting this "staged photo op" line after they covered an 8 year staged photo op for Clinton and the staged photo op this summer for Cindy Lu Who (Sheehan).

Here's what a real staged photo op looks like, kids: Spot the phonies

[Ben Franklin]

I'll give you an example of this: in the Navy (that's me), when a commanding officer holds an open meeting for the troops, our senior enlisted leaders want to know ahead of time what we'll ask the CO (so that they can shoot down whatever is verboten and help the CO prepare his responses) ... Nice and pat. Now, if Bush felt particularly knowledgeable on military enlisted concerns, he could field the questions blind (telephone), like my CO sometimes does on a phone-in. I don't expect Bush to know quite that much, but I also expect some up-front honesty about what's happening: non-military citizens don't realize just how staged these "Q&A"s really are, so let the truth out...!

Pentagon dismisses claims it coached GIs for talk with Bush

News: Stars & Stripes

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told the Associated Press that, “The American people and our brave troops deserve better than a photo op for the president and a pep rally about Iraq. … Unfortunately, today’s event only served to highlight the fact that the president refuses to engage in a frank conversation about the realities on the ground.”

© source where applicable

[The Laughing Man]

These Q&A sessions are as staged as any interview or news report aired by the hypocritical MSM every single day.

Also, I think you need a better source than "Wikinews, the free news source you can write!"

[Minnesota]

You need to provide a link.

Took me all of 15 seconds to find the site. Of course, I suspect you weren't that anxious to find it anyway.

Bush has a rehearsed tele-conference with US troops in Iraq

Also, I think you need a better source than "Wikinews, the free news source you can write!"

The following is a list of Wikinews resources for the piece, so it's quite evident the cat really got out of the bag this time.

Sources
David Greene "Take One: President Bush via Satalite (includes audio)". NPR, All Things Considered, OCT. 13, 2005
Deb Riechmann "Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged". AP, OCT. 13, 2005
Warren Vieth and Mark Mazzetti "Bush's chat with troops draws flak". Baltimore Sun, Oct. 14, 2005
Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer "Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged". ABC News, Oct. 13, 2005
Fox News "Pentagon Denies Talk With Troops Was Staged". FOX News, Oct. 14, 2005
transcript "Press Briefing by Scott McClellan". The White House, October 14, 2005
DoD "News release". U.S. Department of Defense, October 13, 2005
Sgt Ron Long "Speaking with President Bush". They Call Us, "Doc", October 14, 2005

And in case anyone doubts there was a rehearsal--Jinx, you listening?--check out the audio recording HERE Go down and click on "Hear the Rehearsal."

But in any case, this latest attempt to smear President Bush is pure bull that's being hyped by the MSM and liberals.

Boy I could have predicted that comment in my sleep. But what's great is that it was Bush's own team that "smeared" him this time

Love it. Just LOVE it!

[Conductor42]

Also, I think you need a better source than "Wikinews, the free news source you can write!"

At least he is providing a source - unlike certain people who have a tendancy not to provide a source.

[Blemonds]

I'll give you an example of this: in the Navy (that's me), when a commanding officer holds an open meeting for the troops, our senior enlisted leaders want to know ahead of time what we'll ask the CO (so that they can shoot down whatever is verboten and help the CO prepare his responses) ... Nice and pat. Now, if Bush felt particularly knowledgeable on military enlisted concerns, he could field the questions blind (telephone), like my CO sometimes does on a phone-in. I don't expect Bush to know quite that much, but I also expect some up-front honesty about what's happening: non-military citizens don't realize just how staged these "Q&A"s really are, so let the truth out...!

Pentagon dismisses claims it coached GIs for talk with Bush

News: Stars & Stripes

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told the Associated Press that, “The American people and our brave troops deserve better than a photo op for the president and a pep rally about Iraq. … Unfortunately, today’s event only served to highlight the fact that the president refuses to engage in a frank conversation about the realities on the ground.”

© source where applicable

I don't recall you making such a fuss over a question that was staged by a reporter who rehearsed a question with a soldier to ask to Donald Rumsfeld. Subsequently, the media conveniently edited Rumsfeld answer to make the Secretary look bad. Any meeting such as the one Bush held with the troops has to be somewhat staged because of the technology employed and the time constrainsts. The media know that but being honest would not fit their agenda.

[Paul]

Only a complete and total idiot would have been given the impression that the even when aired did not have an element of practice to it. Thus there was no deception on the part of the White House as no reasonable person would have been given that perception. Those who argue that the White House was deceptive are unwittingly arguing not for the deceit of the White House as there was none but for their own idiocy.

[geochron]

Only a complete and total idiot would have been given the impression that the even when aired did not have an element of practice to it. Thus there was no deception on the part of the White House as no reasonable person would have been given that perception. Those who argue that the White House was deceptive are unwittingly arguing not for the deceit of the White House as there was none but for their own idiocy.

Ingenious.

So if you think is ought to be obvious to me someone is lying to me, there's nothing wrong with them lying to me?

[spiritmech]

If this is all the MSM can come up with, you *know* they're running out of real dirt on Cowboy.
sm

[Paul]

Ingenious.

So if you think is ought to be obvious to me someone is lying to me, there's nothing wrong with them lying to me?

1. I don't believe they stated anything factually incorrect. They never claimed that there was no practice. Obviously they would have practiced at least some things like proper posture or looking at the camera properly. Since they never defined the extent of the practice, there was no lie of any kind involved.

2. Even if the did state something factually incorrect, that wouldn't make it a lie for the precise reason you stated. If I say to someone who is computer illiterate, "Whatever you do, do not press the Escape key. If you press it your computer will blow up," have I then lied? No. It is obvious that what I said was not factually correct and no reasonable person would have believed it to be factually correct or that I was seriously making a factually correct claim.

I saw more or less the whole thing. The very fact that they passed questions from one soldier to another shows that at least that part was practiced. Anyone with an IQ above 65 would have realized this.

[Jnthn]

Apparently, them thar libruls in them the-ay-turs do rehearsin' too.

Knew I nevuh liked them acturs. Shifty eyes and adequate dress sense.

Redneck J

[Arnold]

Interesting how the truth of the story did get out into the mainstream press, but it has been ignored it anyway:

Shocked, Just Shocked Network Reporters Hype “Staged” Bush Event with Troops

News | Article

Thursday's NBC Nightly News led, yes led, with how, as anchor Brian Williams put it, President Bush had that morning conducted “a staged event" via satellite with ten U.S. soldiers and one Iraqi soldier in Iraq. “Today's encounter was billed as spontaneous,” Williams intoned. “Instead, it appeared to follow a script.” Andrea Mitchell warned that “the troops were coached on how to answer the Commander-in-Chief” and, indeed, not until two minutes into her three-minute story -- after showing clips of how a DOD official had told the soldiers the questions Bush would ask -- did Mitchell note how “the White House and at least one of the soldiers says the troops weren't told what to say, just what the President would ask." So, the answers were not staged. The soldiers, naturally nervous about appearing on live TV with the President of the United States, were simply told who should answer which question and to “take a breath” before answering. Scandalous! Over video of Bush on the aircraft carrier, Mitchell went on to remind viewers of how “this isn't the first time this administration used troops to help sell the Iraq war.” But she also admitted a media double-standard: “Many administrations, Democrat and Republican, stage-manage events and often the news media ignore the choreography.”

© source where applicable

[Blemonds]

Interesting how the truth of the story did get out into the mainstream press, but it has been ignored it anyway:

Shocked, Just Shocked Network Reporters Hype “Staged” Bush Event with Troops

News | Article

Thursday's NBC Nightly News led, yes led, with how, as anchor Brian Williams put it, President Bush had that morning conducted “a staged event" via satellite with ten U.S. soldiers and one Iraqi soldier in Iraq. “Today's encounter was billed as spontaneous,” Williams intoned. “Instead, it appeared to follow a script.” Andrea Mitchell warned that “the troops were coached on how to answer the Commander-in-Chief” and, indeed, not until two minutes into her three-minute story -- after showing clips of how a DOD official had told the soldiers the questions Bush would ask -- did Mitchell note how “the White House and at least one of the soldiers says the troops weren't told what to say, just what the President would ask." So, the answers were not staged. The soldiers, naturally nervous about appearing on live TV with the President of the United States, were simply told who should answer which question and to “take a breath” before answering. Scandalous! Over video of Bush on the aircraft carrier, Mitchell went on to remind viewers of how “this isn't the first time this administration used troops to help sell the Iraq war.” But she also admitted a media double-standard: “Many administrations, Democrat and Republican, stage-manage events and often the news media ignore the choreography.”

© source where applicable

You mean to tell me that the media is biased?

[Arnold]

You mean to tell me that the media is biased?

I know - it is so hard to believe. I had a hard time coming to grips with it myself...