Ask the White House: we're taking questions for our contact there

[weldon berger]

I'm not sure of the etiquette here, so forgive me if I transgress.

I run BTC News, a little lefty blog. Last year I was able to secure ongoing periodic access to the press briefings for one of my contributors, Eric Brewer. The media relations guy who handles Eric's pass requests is now an official spokesman for the White House and since Eric has a life and a real job and can't get to the briefings as often as he would like, I asked our guy if he would field questions on the record from our readers. He agreed, so we're taking questions at the site. Eric and I will go over them and pick the ones we think are the most well formulated and the least likely to get a meaningless blowoff (as opposed to a meaningful blowoff, which actually does happen).

The thread for questions includes links to Eric's press room dispatches for anyone who wants to get an idea of the sorts of questions he asks — and therefore the kinds of questions we're biased toward, since we write them — and how to interpret the sometimes arcane responses. Most of them are from the McClellan era because he's only had time for a few Snow jobs.

If you're interested, the thread for questions is here, along with a better explanation of what we're looking for and why we're bothering to do this, which has been a common question.

I hope a lot of people will consider participating. And I hope I haven't stepped on any toes by posting this here.

Thanks,
Weldon

[liberal N proud]

1. Welcome to DU

Good luck with your endeavor

[weldon berger]

4. Thanks, we'll see how it goes

If nothing else, it's another little dent in the wall: first they're taking questions from a blogger, and now they're taking questions from blog readers.

Thanks for the welcome ...

[rosesaylavee]

2. Only tempted until

I realized that the WH doesn't apparently know how to answer a question honestly. Trying to think of an answer that a spokesman/woman has given that I believed was true and factual.

(crickets)

No, can't think of one.


edited to add: Welcome to DU! And please do not take my post as snarky - just don't believe a word they tell us anymore! :hi:

[weldon berger]

5. In general we don't believe them either

Not to worry snark-wise; it's a common sentiment and one I share. But it's good to get questions in the record, and the non-answers and evasions can be pretty revealing at times.

[Trajan]

3. Thanks for showing up, Weldon ....

Frankly: I have nothing to ask this bunch of fruitcakes ... I know enough ....

In any case, Welcome to DU ...

[weldon berger]

6. Thank you

I appreciate the welcome. I've actually been lurking around for years, and I used to write some stuff for DU. It's always nice to get back here.

[Frustratedlady]

7. I have a question.

How many deaths (both Iraqi and U.S. military) occurred and how much equipment and arsenal loss was experienced in the October 11th attack on the Forward Operating Base Falcon?

We were initially told there were no casualties. Since then, there are rumors of significant casualties and an estimated 1 billion dollar loss in equipment and ammo. What is the truth on all counts?

[weldon berger]

8. I doubt there's a coverup of any US deaths

It's pretty hard to keep it quiet if a bunch of people from the same brigade get wiped out in a day. Soldiers talk, relatives talk, pretty soon newspapers start talking ... the military lies about how people died, as with Pat Tillman and many others, but trying to conceal the actual deaths is basically impossible. Remember when those 11 or 12 Marines got blown up in an amphibous assault vehicle? It was all over the news in hours.