Behind the Scenes of Operation Photo-Op

[RSchewe]

Earlier today, President Bush held an “impromptu” public teleconference with a group of U.S. soldiers based in Tikrit, Iraq.

Pentagon communications aide Allison Barber “insisted the questions were not rehearsed. The military had been told ahead of time only about topics the president might want to talk about, not specific questions. ‘We just knew broad themes,’ Barber said.”

Yet reporters could clearly hear White House handlers, including Barber herself, prepping the troops for President Bush’s photo-op:

WH Pooler Geoff Earle of the New York Post writes of the teleconference: “The soldiers, nine U.S. men and one U.S. woman, plus an Iraqi, had been tipped off in advance about the questions in the highly scripted event. Allison Barber, deputy assistant to the Secretary of Defense for internal communication, could be heard asking one soldier before the start of the event, “Who are we going to give that to?”

more...


http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/13/behind-the-scenes-photo-op/

Bush is going to get hammered on this...

[Ezlivin]

1. God forbid Bush should have to answer an unscripted question from

a soldier who's actually there to see what the hell is going on.

Bush thinks he is answerable to no one.

He's in for a big frickin' surprise, ain't he folks?

[ewagner]

2. It's even worse

From thinkprogress:

Hotline(sub. req’d) has published this transcript of pool footage featuring a Bush aide “who was, in her own words, ’scripting’ the soldiers shortly before their ‘conversation’ with Bush”:

WH aide: “Capt. Kennedy are you ready?”
Kennedy: “I am ready, ma’am.”
WH aide: “Okay this is for the money. We are going to time this and remember that if the president cuts it short, if he asks more questions, if you have the microphone and he follows up with a question to you, no matter who has it, Captain Pratt if you have the microphone and the president hears something and he wants more information, you just keep that microphone and talk to the president.”
Kennedy: “Okay.”
WH aide: “But if he gives us a question that is not something that we have scripted Captain Kennedy you are going to have the mic and that’s your chance to impress us all.”
Kennedy: “Okay.”
WH aide: “Which won’t be a problem for you.”

[Missy M]

3. What amazes me is the White House handlers all lie with a straight...

face. I guess to be a White House handler you can't have a conscience.

[Oreo]

4. In the real world he would be

We're still in Bizarro world though. People are starting to see through the shit but unless the "news" networks talk about it, the sheeple won't care.

If the video does get out though and they show it along with the speech... Bush will once again prove his incompetence to a large crowd. He's werkin hard people!

[Pirate Smile]

5. That was one of the most embarrassingly staged events I've ever

seen. Here is the thread from watching it live. It will give you a feel for just how bad it really was watching it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5049509

[VolcanoJen]

18. That's fascinating... and so many DUers called it "scripted"...

... from the get-go.

We've got a real feel for calling out the phony photo-ops, don't we?

I'm proud of the DU. :-)

[mikelewis]

25. If you just assume that everything is scripted, it makes it easier...

There's less guesswork involved. I believe that Karl Rove scripts the grunts Bush makes when taking a crap. Until proven otherwise, of course.

[Cyrano]

6. George W. Bush -- miserable human being.

Bush is far beyond being the worst president in our history. He is such an intolerable, miserable human being that any future president would have a hard time topping him in this category.

Our troops are in constant danger with many being killed and many more being maimed daily. Yet, to Bush, it's just one big photo op.

Words fail me. This man is such a piece of rancid human waste that the next time his photo appears, it should be on a post office wall along with the rest of the sociopaths who are still on the loose.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Amazing how bad he interacts, EVEN WHEN it's fully scripted.... nt

[mod mom]

8. This is propaganda. Someone needs to subpoena these individuals and bring

out the truth.

[Neecy]

9. I was horrified watching this farce...

His PR stunts always nauseate me, but this one was so bizarre, so stilted, such shameless propaganda (using soldiers as his fodder, as always) that it seemed unreal and dream-like.

What's shocking is that Bush, as always, stumbled and fumbled and stuttered and made almost no sense and his handlers seem to think that this creates a positive impression with the public. He was worse than usual - a total clown and buffoon. And the scripted cheerleading "answers" made me wonder just how fuckin' stupid they think we are.

I'm afraid that our madman is in the throes of some kind of breakdown - hide the kids, no telling what he'll do.

[slor]

10. "topics the president might want to talk about"

So the soldiers, making all the sacrifices for angry monkeyboy's lies, cannot even talk about topics they choose? What a fucking little brat!

[whatever4]

11. That must have been some appearance

A few of the things Scotty said:

"The troops can ask the president anything they want. They've always been free to do that."

But apparently that doesn't necessarily mean they did do that. The reporters were practically laughing at him.

I took notes ;)

When asked about the difficulties, I think?
"delays, satalite feeds"

"Missing the broader point..."
"The election..."
"We're greatly appreciative of what they're doing ..." (the troops)
"Talk about important topics, important to everyone..."
"Not a staged conversation for PR purposes..."
"Coordination goes on, they (DOD) work to pull toether some troops..."
"Right up there at the top of our list of priorities, safety and securi"
"...our troops are saying their own thoughts..."

q - Did the soldiers know what questions they would ask?
No

talk to Dod. DOD did it, Point person of coordinating this

"All this...side issue. What's important is...vote...brutal dictator"

My personal favorite:
"What the American people heard was some important infomration from the troops in Iraq..."
Says it all. They gave us important information. Might not have been their important infomation, but, it was important information. NOT staged for PR. Because the DOD does that.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. I'm not surprised at all

Everything is a scam with Bush. I'm glad people are reporting this though.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

13. MSNBC to discuss staged troop event this morning..NEXT

[LSparkle]

14. Personally, I can't wait for the pundits to rip this one apart

which I think they will. This was totally lame -- KKKarl must be passing more kidney stones because he wouldn't have come up with this kind of an event. It was PAINFUL to watch in its "terribleness."

Predict Aaron Brown/Anderson Cooper and Tweety will be underimpressed (not to mention Jack Cafferty!).

[displacedtexan]

15. I think they've always done this at their little events.

This time, they got caught.

[Pirate Smile]

22. This one was worse. It was really, really bad - one of those "you

had to see it to believe it" things.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[unblock]

17. you know all those people who think they faked the moon landing?

they faked a presidency.

they couldn't achieve a real presidency, so they faked it. hollywood is making it look like a real presidency, but some of us know the truth!

:tinfoilhat:

[H2O Man]

19. MSNBC is playing it up ....

It really makes George look pathetic.

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. Okay, raise your hand if you thought it was really impromptu....

Sorry freeper lurkers, your opinion doesn't count. ;)

[HuffleClaw]

21. erm, scotty LIED about this outright when asked

if this report is factual. its funny to see these ludicrous p.t. barnum sideshows be exposed so quickly. why do they even bother? and so BADLY planned and executed too. have they really come unglued this much so swiftly ?

[Angry Girl]

23. His stuff has ALWAYS been scripted.... What's so different now?

Like that infamous bulge that accompanies Bush whenever he needs to fall back on prompting through his wireless earpiece. The NYT had the story and killed it. Only Salon had the nerve to run the full story.

Then there was the Indonesian interpreter (fired, of course) who told of how it looked awfully like Bush was getting fed all his information through a hidden earpiece.

Then there's those weird time-buying pauses he always has, during speeches he gives or when answering questions. During some speeches Bush's feed was actually briefly heard outloud (I'm sure someone got fired for getting the frequencies screwed up!)

And while the scumbag was campaigning for the second time, all those "town hall meetings" where non-sympathizers were screened out and ejected.

And then, and then.... oh, I'm getting bored here.

And here we are, years later, acting like this was new. I don't get it.... :shrug:

[kskiska]

24. I think he knew it was bad.

The abrupt way he turned and left the room at the end said it all.

[mikelewis]

26. It's on C-Span's website.... That was aweful...

How can any self-respecting Republican look at him and feel anything but disgust?

Anyway, you can download the video from C-Span. It's of real crappy quality but worth listening to if your sadistic.

http://www.c-span.org/

[Z_I_Peevey]

28. Have they pulled it?

I can't get it to open.

[Nothing Without Hope]

27. ***Olbermann covers the scripted photo-op & lying press conf TONIGHT***

From today's emailed Countdown newsletter about the show tonight (MSNBC, 8pm and midnight ET). The entire emailed newletter, which is titled ”That ‘Unscripted” TV Moment,” is posted here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=315x22899
(Note that at the end of the email are instructions on how to subscribe to the emailing list.)

Subject: That "Unscripted" TV Moment

Date: October 13, 2005 4:01:08 PM EDT

------------------------------------------------------
Tonight on Countdown
------------------------------------------------------

A handpicked group of U.S. troops told President George W. Bush on Thursday they believed the Iraqi people were eager to vote in a weekend referendum on an Iraqi constitution. In a carefully scripted event, Bush spoke to 10 U.S. troops and an Iraqi soldier in a video teleconference about preparations for the Saturday vote, which is critical to U.S. aims for democracy in Iraq and creating conditions for the ultimate withdrawal of American forces. Bush, suffering job approval ratings below 40 percent, the lowest of his presidency, is eager to show progress in Iraq as the American death toll nears 2,000. A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll last month said only 32 percent of Americans approved of his handling of Iraq. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13627152.htm

We will have excerpts of this bizarre teleconference.

And Scott McClellan's press briefing today... notable... you won't want to miss this.

Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann broadcasts LIVE at 8 pm et, and the count is never complete without you. Join us.

(snip - for the rest of the Countdown emailed newsletter, see this post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=315x22899)

[ignatius 2]

29. Christ's sake..this administration is lower than whale shit. Every

god damned event,every god damned calamity,every god damned person is nothing but a cheap photo-shot to them.

Where the fuck is the compassion,the empathy,the I feel your pain in these people? They all make me physically sick.

[understandinglife]

30. Video: Pentagon Aide Admits Having “Drilled Through” Questions For PhotoOp

Links:

http://streaming.americanprogress.org/ThinkProgress/2005/troop_prep.320.240.mov.html

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/13/video-photo-op

Think Progres is just fantastic.


Peace.

[Bumblebee]

31. This is, I swear, the closest I have yet seen to Soviet TV during

Brezhnev's last years. Reminded me of staged interviews with the cosmonauts or factory workers, in terms of performances on both end. Uncanny.

[momster]

32. Public Squeaking

What frightened me was the fact that some officer sitting out in the desert sun, first time on national tv, talking to the President (nervous, excited, whatever) could still speak more clearly and more to the point than *. Anyone of them sounded more presidential than he did, including the Iraqi, who, I think, used about all the English he had.

[PsychoDad]

33. Bush uses all the english he knows too...

Terra, ninelleven, Eye-rak, terra, stay the curse, ninelleven...

Everything he's been trained to say.