Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged

gldstwmn · #1 10-13-2005, 10:30 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051013/...h/bush_iraq_10

WASHINGTON - It was billed as a conversation with U.S. troops, but the questions President Bush asked on a teleconference call Thursday were choreographed to match his goals for the war in Iraq and Saturday's vote on a new Iraqi constitution.

"This is an important time," Allison Barber, deputy assistant defense secretary, said, coaching the soldiers before Bush arrived. "The president is looking forward to having just a conversation with you."

Barber said the president was interested in three topics: the overall security situation in Iraq, security preparations for the weekend vote and efforts to train Iraqi troops.

As she spoke in Washington, a live shot of 10 soldiers from the Army's 42nd Infantry Division and one Iraqi soldier was beamed into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building from Tikrit — the birthplace of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"I'm going to ask somebody to grab those two water bottles against the wall and move them out of the camera shot for me," Barber said.

A brief rehearsal ensued.

"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"

"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.

"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.

"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.

And so it went.

"If the question comes up about partnering — how often do we train with the Iraqi military — who does he go to?" Barber asked.

"That's going to go to Captain Pratt," one of the soldiers said.

"And then if we're going to talk a little bit about the folks in Tikrit — the hometown — and how they're handling the political process, who are we going to give that to?" she asked.

Before he took questions, Bush thanked the soldiers for serving and reassured them that the U.S. would not pull out of Iraq until the mission was complete.

"So long as I'm the president, we're never going to back down, we're never going to give in, we'll never accept anything less than total victory," Bush said.

The president told them twice that the American people were behind them.

"You've got tremendous support here at home," Bush said.

Less than 40 percent in an AP-Ipsos poll taken in October said they approved of the way Bush was handling Iraq. Just over half of the public now say the Iraq war was a mistake.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Thursday's event was coordinated with the Defense Department but that the troops were expressing their own thoughts. With satellite feeds, coordination often is needed to overcome technological challenges, such as delays, he said.

"I think all they were doing was talking to the troops and letting them know what to expect," he said, adding that the president wanted to talk with troops on the ground who have firsthand knowledge about the situation.

The soldiers all gave Bush an upbeat view of the situation.

The president also got praise from the Iraqi soldier who was part of the chat.

"Thank you very much for everything," he gushed. "I like you."

On preparations for the vote, 1st Lt. Gregg Murphy of Tennessee said: "Sir, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make this thing a success. ... Back in January, when we were preparing for that election, we had to lead the way. We set up the coordination, we made the plan. We're really happy to see, during the preparation for this one, sir, they're doing everything."

On the training of Iraqi security forces, Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo from Scotia, N.Y., said to Bush: "I can tell you over the past 10 months, we've seen a tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi security force partners. ... Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations."

Lombardo told the president that she was in New York City on Nov. 11, 2001, when Bush attended an event recognizing soldiers for their recovery and rescue efforts at Ground Zero. She said the troops began the fight against terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and were proud to continue it in Iraq.

"I thought you looked familiar," Bush said, and then joked: "I probably look familiar to you, too."

Paul Rieckhoff, director of the New York-based Operation Truth, an advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, denounced the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt." Five of the 10 U.S. troops involved were officers, he said.

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

gldstwmn · #2 10-13-2005, 10:34 PM

Video link:http://www.canofun.com/blog/default.asp

Shocking.

He's trashed.

dissention · #3 10-13-2005, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Video link:http://www.canofun.com/blog/default.asp

Shocking.

He's trashed.

Thanks for the laugh. That is PRICELESS. When it's up on Crooks and Liars, I'm going to download it for posterity.

Nixxxed · #4 10-13-2005, 10:48 PM

How are the US troops involved in the Iraq vote coming up?

The one answer that really got me was the guy who said something along the lines of "Province XYZ has had a 70% increase in voter registration". Or something - he was clearly stating statistics about voting.

It seems like an obviously pre-staged question and answer. How on Earth would he know that, or if the US troops are walking around signing up Iraqi voters, why the hell are they doing that?

gldstwmn · #5 10-13-2005, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

How are the US troops involved in the Iraq vote coming up?

The one answer that really got me was the guy who said something along the lines of "Province XYZ has had a 70% increase in voter registration". Or something - he was clearly stating statistics about voting.

It seems like an obviously pre-staged question and answer. How on Earth would he know that, or if the US troops are walking around signing up Iraqi voters, why the hell are they doing that?

The troops were rehearsed by some woman from the DOD named Allison. I guess some of the evening news anchors just about blew a gasket over it this evening.
Check out the video. He's slurring. He asks the female soldier if she remembers him from New York (wink, wink). Oy.

gldstwmn · #6 10-13-2005, 11:03 PM

Here's the video of Snotty McLellan denying that the press conference was staged. Then he has the balls to say Helen Thomas opposes the war on terrorism. If this wasn't so tragic for all of us, watching their demise would be really fun.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/10/13.html#a5354

Brwn_eyes0511 · #7 10-13-2005, 11:21 PM

He sounded a little drunk to me...

ShangriLaTroubl · #8 10-13-2005, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

He sounded a little drunk to me...

Well what time did it occur, we all know he's trashed by 8pm

Chris

dissention · #9 10-13-2005, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

He sounded a little drunk to me...

It's official: they're eating their own.

Nixxxed · #10 10-13-2005, 11:25 PM

OH - and when he dropped the earpiece, and then had to scamble to hunt for it on the podium? Classic.

Brwn_eyes0511 · #11 10-13-2005, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

It's official: they're eating their own.

When he starts the eating first...

"Even Bill Clinton had the political wisdom to know that when you are on the ropes...you turn to your base you don't screw them." - ANN COULTER (REAL TIME W/ BILL MAHER (OCT. 7, 2005)

estranged4life · #12 10-14-2005, 01:28 AM

playing on my stereo at this exact time:

"Cause it's not a problem of society, if it dont affect me...And I feel lovely".

Brian "George Bush will now stage his intelligence" j.

irishgrl · #13 10-14-2005, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

The troops were rehearsed by some woman from the DOD named Allison. I guess some of the evening news anchors just about blew a gasket over it this evening.
Check out the video. He's slurring. He asks the female soldier if she remembers him from New York (wink, wink). Oy.

I have always said, to anyone who would listen (and even to a few who didnt!

) BUSH'S CUE CARDS ARE WRITTEN IN CRAYON!!!!!!!

What a dingleberry. Geez.

SuzeQuze · #14 10-14-2005, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

Thanks for the laugh. That is PRICELESS. When it's up on Crooks and Liars, I'm going to download it for posterity.

I couldn't get it via the link above, Crooks and Liars doesn't have it up yet. I have heard some audio though with Bush stammering when he went off script.