In depends on what the meaning of ‘pre-screened’ is

October 13, 2005

Bush participated this morning in a video teleconference with U.S. troops in Tikrit, Iraq. Amazingly, everyone stayed on-message. One could be forgiven for giving in to cynicism and thinking that maybe the White House scripted the whole thing and the teleconference was an excuse for another war-president photo op.

Except, it wouldn’t be cynical, it’d be true.

At this morning’s press gaggle, Scott McClellan was asked whether the teleconference was scripted.

Q: How were [the troops] selected, and are their comments to the president pre-screened, any questions or anything…

McClellan: No.

Q: Not at all?

McClellan: This is a back-and-forth.

Similarly, the Pentagon “insisted the questions were not rehearsed.” Was any of this true? Not even a little.

The Hotline and Think Progress noted that reporters could easily hear White House advance staffers prepping troops, doling out questions, explaining how to respond, and encouraging them to stay on-message.

Needless to say, this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. There is simply no way the president would have a discussion about the war with troops in Iraq, in front of reporters, without scripting the whole thing in advance. Men and women in uniform are putting their lives on the line, but for the White House, that’s no reason to stop using them as props.

My question is: did the Bush gang assume they could just lie and no one would notice? Or are they past the point of caring?

Answer: Long past the point of caring.

It’s just an alteration of that old saying: Don’t give excuses, your friends don’t need them and your enemies won’t listen. The Bush Admin has turned that into an artform.

  • What Biobrain said. For these guys, getting caught is irrelevant. They’ll just explain it away with another lie. Bush isn’t running for another term so what does he care?

  • They have never cared. Why bother no one calls them on the lies. They haven’t paid any penalty for lying so why tell the truth? Lie, spin the lie, and when someone sees through the spin, change the spin and lie some more. This is an administration that is allergic to the truth. They lie even when the truth wouldn’t hurt.

  • Not a huge surprise that the Q & A sessions are scripted, it’s pathetic and sad to think the C in C won’t listen to the real concerns from the troops, but fine, this is what this administration does. What is really appalling is that the Pentagon and Press Sec lied about it when asked. I get that the Press Sec is there to spin, good and especially bad spinning is almost enjoyable to watch, as long as you put aside the fact that this is really the voice of the presidency, but to flat out lie? as CB consistently points out, it is just another example of this administration making up the truth.

  • Propaganda machine full steam ahead. I am still scared to death that the Republicans expertise with propaganda will let them escape any punishment for all of their shady behavior.

  • Dr. Biobrain has it.

    I would also add that this administration has spent so much time lying about everything under the sun, that they may have altered their own perceptions about lying to the point that they have changed the definitions of truth and lie.

  • What are the odds of someone following up on this during the next press conference?

    If they can’t be relied on to pick even the lowest of the low-hanging fruit, they’re sorrier sacks than I could have ever imagined.

  • They keep doing this because it’s all they know how to do. Seriously. It’s just the same kind of cheap college trickery that worked well enough in the past because people hadn’t seen it often enough at the time. Now it’s not fooling anyone but they have nothing else to offer. Actual governing has been of no interest to them, the basis of their power has always rested in their unshakable belief in the stupidity of the majority of the American people. But now the people are waking up, and George has no place to run.

    Poor George.

  • I have no doubt it was scripted, because
    Bush can’t function without one. But my
    question is, how is the MSM reporting
    this, if at all?

    Because that’s all 95% of the American
    people ever see when it comes to news.

  • Sorry, Ed, but Bush doesn’t see
    Alfred E. Neuman in the mirror in
    the morning. He sees John Wayne.
    Interestingly, they were both
    draft dodgers, but pretend to be
    war heroes. But at least Wayne
    didn’t Swift Boat anyone, that I
    know of.

  • Anyone who questions anything will just be branded as “not supporting the troops.” It’s the same old crap from these people. The fact of the matter is that THEY don’t support the troops. They continue to USE them for political and financial gain. THAT is the ultimate disgrace.

  • Try to imagine FDR or Winston Churchill resorting to some kind of hyped public radio hookup with the troops to find out what the hell was going on during the Battle of the Bulge.

    • Comments are closed.