Posted on 12/09/2004 9:22:17 AM PST by Nascardude
Edited on 12/09/2004 10:05:10 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
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...
Sure will. The boys wrote home that they were not issued body amour. They asked if we could do anything. We bought 2 sets and had them shipped. That is about as simple as I can make it. Confusing aint it.
My old unit, a light towed artillery unit, the troops would have cheered the SecDef.
We had an odd lib in the unit.
Only in my unit it was our Captain.
I saw the tape and many more were not clapping the were clapping. Most of the soldiers did not clap.
Wear is a risk, and the contract when one is inducted, does not promis a rose Garden or Armor plated vehicles to all who ride.
Ops4 God Bless America!
That is a good point and the media will never see it that way. Just about everyone I have ever deployed with always wanted the best, latest and greatest equiptment. We don't always get it so you have to make do with what you got. I don't blame the soldier and I didn't like the way he phrased the question. He should of came out point blank and asked if they were going to get extra armor for their Humvees.
Ok I read the transcript and in regards to the question about the Humvees and armor after his answer this is the only part that i found refrencing any cheering... is that what you are refering to?
Thanks.
You miss the point. We don't mind debating, spending more money, or whatever for the troops we do not trust the media or their motives. The MSM DOES NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE TROOPS ONLY THE DESTRUCTION OF BUSH!!!! understand now?
So far this week we've had the deserter who's looking for asylum in Canada and making speeches which appear to have been written by John Kerry.
A leaked letter from the Pentagon alleging that our special operations forces are using force to capture armed combatants, rather than saying "pretty pleathe, Mr. terroritht thir, give us your weaponth and come with uth. We'll take you to a nithe, air contithioned fathility where we have good food and Ginger Rogerth/Fred Athtair marathons twice a week! You'll jutht LUV it there! No kicking, scratthing or biting now, pleathe", in violation of the Geneva Convention.
Now a rerun of M*A*S*H started by a snot nosed reporter and about to be blown to TITANIC proportions by the mass media.
Does this all smell choreographed to anyone else?
Read post 625.. I read the transcirpt and that was the only reference that i found in regards to cheering after the armored humvee question.
Yes, most of us did and have been following this story since yesterday. When you catch up and give it some thought yourself, I look forward to more measured and less kneejerk responses from you.
Since you asked and all...
yes, that's what I'm referring to.
BUT a soldier still got up and asked it, there was some applause from other soldiers, Rumsfeld admitted some type of problem.
I am not willing to take it out on the troops because the press is left wing. To whatever extent a problem exists, let's apply more resources to fix it because we have a volunteer force and we don't need any supply or morale problems.
I support Bush, Rumsfeld, and the troops. Even Rush Limbaugh put a veteran on who argued the troops need this solved and Rush mainly countered only with the liberal media's misuse of the story. He did NOT argue with what the veteran said re the equipment.
It wasn't a cavalier response. That's at the heart of the misrepresentation.
The applause line.
Yes... quite a cresendo, isn't it? It's getting so predictable, especially since Vietnam! The whole MSM establishment just yearns and longs for another victory over the despised military and it's civilian leaders like Vietnam. They are absolutely obsessed with it and with blowing Bush out of the saddle!!!
They refuse to see what an exceptional military we have and then when they realize it, they try to "bring it all down, man!" (shouted by a Berkeley Hippie Demonstrator in the early 70's) They further refuse to see what an exceptional nation America is and has been from the beginning!!!
From what I read of that it was cheering the fact that the Humvees were on the way to the battlefield..not the fact that the soldier ask that question...
rush quoted him as saying "my best day in journalism ever" his boss should say "your LAST day in journalism ever"
I agree. I have no problem with the reporter getting the soldier to ask the question. I did not like the answers Rumsfeld gave either. I like Rumsfeld, but he attempted to make excuses. There is absolutley no reason why our troops should be going through piles of garbage looking for scrap metal to protect themselves (although, this should make liberals happy as the military is recycling). There are billions being spent on this war & those vehicles should be fully armored & all troops should have kevlar vests.
Excellent post. It goes to the heart of the matter.
How about the trillions spent to keep the welfare mob and their pimps well-fed, clothed and housed?
This would be better spent on our military.
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