RUMSFELD SET UP; REPORTER PLANTED QUESTIONS WITH SOLDIER (DRUDGE SIREN)

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[Nascardude]

RUMSFELD SET UP; REPORTER PLANTED QUESTIONS WITH SOLIDER
Thu Dec 09 2004 11:49:38 ET

Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Edward Lee Pitts is embedded with the 278th Regimental Combat Team, now in Kuwait preparing to enter Iraq, and is filing articles for his newspaper. Pitts claims in a purported email that he coached soldiers to ask Defense Secretary Rumsfeld questions!

From: EDWARD LEE PITTS, Chattanooga Times Free Press military reporter
Sent: Wednesday, December 8, 2004 4:44 PM
To: Staffers

Subject: RE: Way to go

I just had one of my best days as a journalist today. As luck would have it, our journey North was delayed just long enough see I could attend a visit today here by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts. Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have. While waiting for the VIP, I went and found the Sgt. in charge of the microphone for the question and answer session and made sure he knew to get my guys out of the crowd.

So during the Q&A session, one of my guys was the second person called on. When he asked Rumsfeld why after two years here soldiers are still having to dig through trash bins to find rusted scrap metal and cracked ballistic windows for their Humvees, the place erupted in cheers so loud that Rumsfeld had to ask the guy to repeat his question. Then Rumsfeld answered something about it being "not a lack of desire or money but a logistics/physics problem." He said he recently saw about 8 of the special up-armored Humvees guarding Washington, DC, and he promised that they would no longer be used for that and that he would send them over here. Then he asked a three star general standing behind him, the commander of all ground forces here, to also answer the question. The general said it was a problem he is working on.

The great part was that after the event was over the throng of national media following Rumsfeld- The New York Times, AP, all the major networks -- swarmed to the two soldiers I brought from the unit I am embedded with. Out of the 1,000 or so troops at the event there were only a handful of guys from my unit b/c the rest were too busy prepping for our trip north. The national media asked if they were the guys with the armor problem and then stuck cameras in their faces. The NY Times reporter asked me to email him the stories I had already done on it, but I said he could search for them himself on the Internet and he better not steal any of my lines. I have been trying to get this story out for weeks- as soon as I foud out I would be on an unarmored truck- and my paper published two stories on it. But it felt good to hand it off to the national press. I believe lives are at stake with so many soldiers going across the border riding with scrap metal as protection. It may be to late for the unit I am with, but hopefully not for those who come after.

The press officer in charge of my regiment, the 278th, came up to me afterwords and asked if my story would be positive. I replied that I would write the truth. Then I pointed at the horde of national media pointing cameras and mics at the 278th guys and said he had bigger problems on his hands than the Chattanooga Times Free Press. This is what this job is all about - people need to know. The solider who asked the question said he felt good b/c he took his complaints to the top. When he got back to his unit most of the guys patted him on the back but a few of the officers were upset b/c they thought it would make them look bad. From what I understand this is all over the news back home.

Thanks,

Lee

EDWARD LEE PITTS FILED STORY ABOUT THE TROOPS BEFORE THE POW-WOW WITH RUMSFELD

Developing...

[Darksheare]

"I wish I had pictures for you because you don't seem to understand written words and you cannot stay on focus."

Ah yes, you just HAVE to toss the insults out there.

"You, too, are more interested in the motives and the delivery of the question than getting the results."
No, I'm tired of people who claim to 'support the troops but not the mission' and or parrot DNC talking points, blame everything BUT those responsible for the state of the military as inherited by us as of Jan 2001.
And the "It's FAKE but accurate!" statements, your "doesn't matter that the reporter planted the question, it's the question that matters" babblings are being dishonest with not only us but yourself.

"Why are you more interested in the motive of the question and the delivery than getting the problems solved? "
Why are you so interested in trying to claim that Rumsfeld was embarrassed by it?
Why are you so interested in your defense of the reporter instead of actually doing something to fix the problem that existed since our military went into SOMOLIA?

"Why is it that you will expend a great deal of energy trying to dismiss the question rather than solve the problems that inspired the question?"
Well, if you've spent as much time gleaning things from what people have said as you seem to indicate, you'd have seen that a better question was framed up several hundred posts ago.
One that had proper Military Bearing and Professionalism.
NOT some sleazy two bit scribbling on a piece of paper by a scumbag reporter.


"Sorry, I must go, it is late."

This is the third time you've said this, and it doesn't seem any more true now than the second time you said it and yet stayed.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Yeah, sure, there's one in every crowd. But I'll bet that there is more emphasis put on armor now than if the question was not asked.

If you're talking about the media, then no, you would be wrong. There are more than just a few in the media who act as fifth columnists and offer aid and comfort to the enemy. Traitors make up the majority of the news media.

If you actually think that this administration works like the previous, by licking its collective finger and testing the wind direction then you have been asleep for the last four years. George W. Bush has done more for the morale of our military than any president in recent memory. This issue with the armor plating has been blown way out of proportion and the media has pounced on it like it does with every other scrap of potentially damaging news it can find. If you want to be an apologist for the leftists in the press, be my guest.

[txradioguy]

"YOU know what is going on in Iraq...YOU have the inside scoop, eh?

And guess what? Those who can get steel plates don't tend to complain, those that don't do. Not all. Not all the time."


Hang on Old Cracker...I got this one for you. Despite what the media spoon feeds you every night Eagle...the majority of the soldiers in Iraq are NOT crying in their MRE's on a daily basis about the percieved lack of armor on the rivehicles.

In my Brigade...the soldiers who did have the up armored Hummers talked about the restriction of vision the thicker armor caused and the sluggish response when needing to move out fast because of the extra 2000 pounds tacked on to an already heavy vehicle.

I rode around in soft skinned vehicles in every nook and cranny of Baghdad and Taji. Not ONCE did I ever think of whining about the lack of armor. I had more important stuff to concentrate on.

So I must amed your statement somewhat. Those with time on their hands and no mission COMPLAIN...the rest of us with something to do DON'T!!

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

A tribute to Eagle Eye's indecisiveness.

Post #1173 @ 12:32:14 PM CST
But I'm done for tonight, I'm outta here. Watch some TV for me, I'm sure you're good at it.

Post #1179 @ 12:41:48 PM CST
Good night, I'm tired.

Post #1180 @ 12:51:02 PM CST
Sorry, I must go, it is late.

[Darksheare]

LOL!!

[rlmorel]

Yer tagline just makes me laugh every time I see it!!!

[Darksheare]

Thanks!
I've had a few taglines that made people wonder where I get them from.
*chuckle*

[Texas Deb]

What I hear in response to this entire situation is a lot of frustration - frustration that once again,the media is trying to undermine our war efforts, thus endangering the troops more. As we are finding out today, evidently the good reporter, who had supposedly been working on this story forever, failed to discover, or failed to report, that this problem has been being addressed for a long time. He wanted to leave the impression that nothing has been done on this and that Rumsfield doesn't care about our troops, blah blah blah. The reporter had an agenda, and it was not to help the troops, and that is what I believe is behind of lot of the anger and frustration you are hearing.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

The reporter had an agenda, and it was not to help the troops, and that is what I believe is behind of lot of the anger and frustration you are hearing.

Well said. Aiding our war effort is more important than the freedom granted the press to tell any story in any manner they wish. If the press does not begin to exercise more caution and wisdom in the stories they tell and how they tell them, they will lose their right to tell any story whatsoever. They have already proven themselves unworthy of any loyal American's respect and trust.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

You see, Bor, the problem is that the media is not to be trusted. Also, we have some soldiers who volunteered to be weekend warriors, never imagining that their nation would send them overseas to fight. It happened and a few are whining. You don't hear regular Army and Marines making this kind of noise, now do you?

[billbears]

Of course, I realize that the only war you would ever support would be one that is in defense of slavery, but to each his own

Cute. Completely wrong, but your side of the argument doesn't base your conclusions on facts, only emotions and slurs. My only support for a war would be one that is in defense of this nation of states. In the past one hundred years, the only war that would come close to this threshold would be WWII. But continue with your slurs and pat yourself on the back would you?

[billbears]

I've seen the clip several times and most around the speaker don't move their hands or make any noise at all.

Well I can either only assume you are deaf or watched the clip on Fox. Watched it again this afternoon on MSNBC and heard a chorus of 'Hoo-up' followed by clapping in the background from numerous hands

As to your gratuitous comment about the "official line", it sounds like you have a "line" you follow and you don't let facts make you deviate

If you mean my line is not to follow the words from the administration as the gospel, yep you've got me. Unlike Republicans, I have this nasty capability to think for myself. Ought to try it sometime...

I find that disgusting.

Why thank you! Compliments such as these coming from partisan hacks tells me my conservatism has not wavered one iota

[cyncooper]

LOL

[Kurt_D]

Regardless of who masterminded the question... I think it was a valid one. The troops need more armor for their vehicles.

[Darksheare]

"Partisan hacks"?
Tell me, do you get your talking points from Eleanor Clift?

[JustAnotherOkie]

I just read in the news where they are going to accelerate the production of up armored vehicles.

I knew it was administrative and could have been done earlier.

I am a Rummy fan but he deserved to be called on the carpet for this. So what if it was wasn't just so so. There will be lives of our troops saved because of this and it was the 'Right' thing to do.

[potlatch]

Good post devolve.

[groundhogsteve]

As long as the facts stated in the question are true - that soldiers are scouring landfills to search for metal - then it is fair game for the media to feed it to a willing soldier.

All sorts of games are played at press conferences. Reporters pitch questions to the press secretary before presidential press conferences to try to influence who gets called upon. The fact that this administration holds so few press conferences means the media has to get their questions in any way they can. If Rumsfeld held more press conferences, I would say it was unfair for the reporter to use up the time for "soldier questions".

As to coaching - why not? Administration officials are coached on phraseology before all media events, why not coach the soldier so he can be more effective. And it did the job of focusing the administration on armor. Too bad it didn't happen beofre the election so it could be shown to the whole world how little the administration cares about the soldiers in the field.

I bet the next big issue will be D cell batteries. These are the ones they need for night vision goggles, and the soldiers are always asking for them in care packages because they can't get enough through regular supply channels.

[Eagle Eye]

And guess what? I've been in many of those places, too, never once in armor. I'm not asking for it either, but in almost two years in theater, I've stood in pleanty of DFAC lines, eaten enough meals with the troops, been to plenty of convoy breifings and AAR's to hear what is on their minds.

Me? I rode last week unarmed and in and unarmored vehicle and will again this week.

So, despite what you THINK the media spoonfeeds me, I have feet on the ground experience for my opinions.

Hey, OC, don't you have anything better to do than mock me? You've really shown yourself unable to discuss this without personal attacks. Your words speak volumes about your character and that of those like you.