Let the Spin Begin: Reporter planted GI's question for Rumsfeld

[fryguy]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/09/rumsfeld.reporter/index.html

The question a U.S. soldier asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Wednesday about the lack of armor on some combat vehicles in Iraq was planted by a newspaper reporter embedded with the soldier's unit, the reporter told colleagues in an e-mail.

<more>

on edit: And why isn't there a call for his resignation for saying "As you know, you have to go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want" in response....could you imagine the hell fire that would have rained down upon a Democrat who might have said something like that?

[Wickerman]

1. So I have read

The issue remains - the crowd went nuts and it was a valid point and Rummy's only response was only to offer excuses, not solutions. That is what a decent and honest media would focus on.

[Lucky Luciano]

4. Hey is your Avatar bruning man???

It is too small to tell...if so, I was there!

[Wickerman]

6. No, its from the

movie Wickerman. I'd love to go to Burning Man sometime, though! Tell me about it!

[Lucky Luciano]

11. Here is a link to my write-up:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&blogID=9315448&friendID=5807671&Mytoken=20041209202251

It is a bit long, but it is the best description I can give!

[juliagoolia]

2. How much did they pay and who?

This is all so predictable.

Why did the WHOLE crowd CHEER??????????? Was that planted too?

[Lucky Luciano]

3. Of course this is an attempt at spin

and there is no doubt that conservatives will gloat about this to totally discredit the validity of the question since they don't give a shit about armor when they don't have to fight....they will win this spin machine again....even though the entire crowd of troops cheered...even though the soldier asking the question undoubtedly felt angry about the lack of armor....no matter...the reporter set it up so now it will be bogus...what bs :eyes:

[eleny]

5. They can spin but they've also been spotted scrambling

The horse is out of the barn. Especially with the manufacturer now coming forward saying they told the gov't they weren't nearly up to maximum production of the remedy. My, oh my, oh my - and a lordy lordy thrown in to boot. After all this time, they were still doing this on the cheap. So, where did the 87 big ones go?

[Lucky Luciano]

7. Where did the $87B go?

I know you know the answer, but for our Freep friends looking on, let's play a little Hangman.

I will give some hints and dashes to represent the missing letters:


H---------N

[Skink]

9. They can't blame us anymore....

There first priority however was a vote on keeping the indicted in power.

[MADem]

8. Saw that...and fuck that reporter

He talks to a bunch of guys about their concerns, perhaps urges them to speak up, tells the guy scheduling questions for the SECDEF to put them on the list, and then takes CREDIT for the questions?

FUCK HIM.

Coward, shill, ego-driven asshole.

Just my take. He should be fired, if only for his excessive hubris.

Now, the story is about HIM, not about the issue. And the ISSUE is more real than he is, the sanctified dink. His email REEKED of self-serving pride, and that suggests to me that he has a better opinion of himself than might be deserved. Fuck him.

Score another point for BushCo.

[Erika]

12. I thank the reporter

He gave the soldier an avenue to express his concerns. This reporter and the soldier will save many lives, if we keep the pressure up.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. So that "soldier" must have been a department store mannequin

with a tape recorder inside. If that had been a real soldier, he never would have exercised his free opinion and actually agreed to ask Rumsferatu any questions that were suggested by some evil reporter. As we know, all soldiers unquestioningly support the Reich.

[fryguy]

14. and all the soldiers that cheered were in fact

part of bush co's photoshop battalion that malfunctioned....

[LynnTheDem]

13. How will they spin the soldier's being a REPUBLICAN who VOTED for bush?

Too bad rightwingnuts and our rightwingnut "liberal" media are SO DAMN STUPID they can't bother with the FACT that bush STILL HAS NOT PLACED THE ORDER to increase uparmored vehicles by 50-100/month AFTER THREE YEARS.

They are KEPT SO BUSY CONSTANTLY COVERING UP FOR BUSH to find time for anything else.

[Nordic]

15. Yeah and all the soldiers who cheered were plants, too

Man, these guys will stoop lower than ever.

[distantearlywarning]

16. Not to mention...

Isn't it actually TRUE that the soldiers don't have appropriatly armored vehicles? I'm sure that fact will get "conveniently" overlooked in the furor about journalists prodding soldiers to ask Rumsfeld uncomfortable questions.

[Erika]

18. I viewed again the cheering soldiers...

They finally found a voice. Bushco had intimidated all into thinking anyone who disagreed with his war were unpatriotic criminals against the U.S.

Yeah for the soldier and the reporter. It's these soldiers who are risking their lives and Bushco damn well better see to it that their equipment and protective gear is upgraded. Bushies don't care, they would support Bush if he gave our kids sling shots.

[Not a robought]

17. Hey CNN

How about the story of that Mike Hintz Assembly of God pastor that Bush posed beside and was subsequently charged with sexual exploitation? Not a peep on TV or a webpage - unless it's the Roman Catholics.

But while you're falling all over yourselves about the daring resourcefulness of a fellow member of the media actually doing their job, whatever happened to the 380 tons of explosives anyhow?

I'm sure you're right on that and we'll hear about it any day now.

[VolcanoJen]

19. Dupe... locking

Please continue discussion within the original LBN thread on this topic, which can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1058300

Thanks!

VolcanoJen
DU Moderator