DoD briefing today--Question re campaigning on military bases

[berry]

Apparently, in "time of war" especially, *Bush and Cheney can speechify all they like to the military, but not our guys. This is infuriating! Anyone know anything more about this?

(I'm posting just the 2 questions from the briefing that relate to this, but the transcript is by a private company that makes it sound like a federal offense to even quote from it--HOW can such vital information for the public be privatized like this? I know, I know...)

On the web: http://www.defenselink.mil/cgi-bin/dlprint.cgi?http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2004/tr20040728-1043.html

Presenter: Lawrence Di Rita, PDASD(PA) and Lieutenant General Norton Schwartz, Director for Operations, JCS Wednesday, July 28, 2004 12:00 p.m.

<snip>
Q: Larry, does the Pentagon still have a directive or rule or whatever you call it technically that prohibits political campaigning on military bases or the use of the U.S. military for political campaigning?

MR. DI RITA: I don't think the rule is quite as expansive as you just described it. But basically, when a political candidate -- as I understand it, and we can provide more specific detail for you -- when a political candidate appears at an installation for some kind of official activity, if the installation commander is aware of it and has made the installation available to that candidate, the candidate can't do media queries and he can't be -- I think the ruling is specifically he may appear on camera and in photographs but he may not make a statement or respond to media queries while on the installation; he or she, I should say.

Q: So they can make essentially their stump political speech as long as they don't engage the media? Is that the difference?

MR. DI RITA: They may not make a statement or respond to queries while on the installation.

Q: They can't make a speech?

MR. DI RITA: Right. That's the policy.

Q: Because there were a couple of speeches yesterday, one by the vice president and one by John Kerry, which clearly appeared to be statements, at least, if not political speeches.

MR. DI RITA: The prohibitions do not apply explicitly to the president, the vice president and the speaker of the House. They've got official responsibilities that, particularly in a time of war, the president is going to go to military installations, and so will the vice president, and the speaker is certainly encouraged to do the same thing.

I can't speak to any specific issue that you're raising, but my understanding is that an event that occurred yesterday was in accordance with our procedures.

Q: Including John Kerry?

MR. DI RITA: I think that's specifically what somebody has advised me, that it followed the procedures. <Note: it was subsequently clarified that Senator Kerry was not on a military installation – his appearance on 27 July was in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, not at the Norfolk Naval Base.>

Q: Hmm. Okay.

<snip>

Q: But just a -- and to go back to the president and the exemptions for the president and vice president --

MR. DI RITA: And the speaker of the House.

Q: -- and the speaker, who obviously have official capacities, but the speech by Vice President Cheney yesterday sounded very much like a campaign speech. So there are no restrictions on the kind of official statements they can make.

MR. DI RITA: The vice president -- this is a country at war. The vice president of the United States went to a military installation to talk about the country at war. And I believe, to the best of my observation of what he did yesterday, it was not only appropriate, it was the right thing to do.

Q: Well, he didn't say vote for Bush-Cheney in 2004.

MR. DI RITA: I think he did the right thing.
<snip>

Just MHO, but Mr. Di Rita sounds pretty political here. Comments?

OOPS--just edited to add a note that was in the original transcript but got omitted because it was in brackets--at the end of the 1st questioning--stating that Kerry's speech in Norfolk wasn't on base.

[RobertSeattle]

1. Thanks for brining this up

I was in the Army 86-91 (Reagan and Bush) and I don't recall ANY blatant poltical campaining even by Reagan/Bush during that time. Bush/Cheney has no shame.

[berry]

2. shameless kick

I KNEW I shouldn't have posted this last night right during the best speeches! But I do think this deserves some attention.

[Manix]

3. ..the ruthless, bastard repugs will do anything for advantage!

[Solly Mack]

4. My husband can't actively campaign in uniform

he can't hand out anything...while in uniform. he can't be in a car with a campaign bumpersticker...while in uniform. He even got questioned for my "Vets for Kerry" bumper sticker. I left it on the car and said I'd take it off when the "Vets Against Kerry" remove theirs..as one is no more actively campaigning than the other.

but Bush supporters get away with this...because he's CinC. No other reason..which leaves those of us who don't support Bush in a very bad way.

Bush has a totally unfair advantage for speaking and campaigning to the troops. In an election cycle, it should be ALL candidates or no candidates speaking. It's one thing to address the troops...quite another to actively campaign..and if people can't speak accordingly, then they shouldn't be able to speak at all during an election year.

A sitting president can be among troops, ask them questions, and address their concerns without saying "vote for me"..or "so and so won't do for you what I will"

[berry]

5. Has anyone tallied up the percentage of *Bush speeches

that are given to military audiences? With all the military backdrop to send unspoken messages about who will better "protect America"?

We know *Bush prefers venues that are highly controlled/controllable. And now it seems that this law the reporter mentioned can be used also as an excuse to keep reporters from asking questions! Nice set-up if you can get it.

I also wonder if this will work to *Bush's advantage in the long run. There will always be people wanting to be on his bandwagon (as long as they can make him look as if he's winning), but I get the feeling that the military may not be as supportive of this c-i-c as they have to appear. Which makes me wonder if all these speeches aren't really aimed at the mass audience on t.v. who "see" *Bush as part of the military who will protect them. This USING of the military makes me :puke:

The "wartime" excuse is also garbage.

[Solly Mack]

7. He does use it for the public...to make it seem as if the military

supports him.

A captive audience...Bush' favorite kind.

[Wind Dancer]

6. Yes, Kerry does have an unfair advantage!

This is so typical of how * operates!