Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged

[noahmijo]

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

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051014/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_iraq

Sorry if this is a dupe. I took a 3 hour nap and woke up and found this. To me the fact that dubyafuck staged this is NOT a surprise to me or anyone on this forumn.

What IS a surprise though is the fact that the media actually had the balls to outright call this for what it was and THAT to me is a pretty major step forward. (FINALLY)

[Hello_Kitty]

1. I know! I'm astonished, really.

These scripted events have been their standard MO since the beginning of the war and FINALLY they're calling it what it is.

[MercutioATC]

2. ALL of his media events are staged. Remember the "town hall meetings"?

You know, the ones with a hand-picked audience that were fed questions to ask?

Any time this President speaks to a group of people, it's a media event, not a real discussion.

[noahmijo]

3. READ

Quoted from my original post:

Sorry if this is a dupe. I took a 3 hour nap and woke up and found this. To me the fact that dubyafuck staged this is NOT a surprise to me or anyone on this forumn.

What IS a surprise though is the fact that the media actually had the balls to outright call this for what it was and THAT to me is a pretty major step forward. (FINALLY)

[MercutioATC]

4. Ummm, I was agreeing with you...

Next time I'll try to be a little more confrontational...

:shrug:

[noahmijo]

6. Ok well your response indicated that you thought I didn't know

that all these events are scripted. Sorry if I came off harsh but I specifically indicated that it wasn't this that surprised me.

You don't need to be more confrontational just say something to the effect of "yea the media has finally gotten off its ass a little" :)

[petronius]

5. I'm really not all that bothered by this...

As long as the soldiers were allowed to give their own answers, I don't think it matters that they were told who was going to get which question. It's obvious to everyone that Bush asked the questions that he thought would bolster his case, and I'm sure the soldiers were picked based on previously expressed support for Bush. But telling the soldiers the questions in advance at least prevented them from being caught flat-footed or stumbling on global TV...

Just a bunch of transparent and unconvincing crap from Bush, but maybe a cool memory for some soldiers.

[BuyingThyme]

7. I don't support these troops.