Scamming the Public on Iraq. The Bush Administration was caught in an attempt to manipulate public opinion yesterday, when broadcast news organizations got hold of tapes showing that a supposed impromptu discussion between the President and 11 preselected soldiers in Iraq (10 Americans and one Iraqi) was not just coordinated to run smoothly for the cameras but practically scripted! The Administration was thus again revealed to be slimy and dishonest.
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Here are excerpts of CNN's written story.

"You've got tremendous support here at home," Bush said.

Less than 40 percent in an AP-Ipsos poll taken in October said they approved of the way Bush was handling Iraq. Just over half of the public now say the Iraq war was a mistake. *nbsp;*nbsp;*

[Soldierette Corine] Lombardo told the president that she was in New York City on Nov. 11, 2001, when Bush attended an event recognizing soldiers for their recovery and rescue efforts at Ground Zero. She said the troops began the fight against terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and were proud to continue it in Iraq. *nbsp;*nbsp;*

Paul Rieckhoff, director of the New York-based Operation Truth, an advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, denounced the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt." Five of the 10 U.S. troops involved were officers, he said.

"If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference," Rieckhoff said. "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."

Note that the Bushies have a woman they put into harm's way — in our lesbian-feminist, Communized military where there is no gender, only cannon fodder and killing machines — continue the lie that the war in Iraq was somehow tied to 9/11, even tho there was never any connection between the two.
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Contrast Rumsfeld's highly publicized appearances with troops many months ago. (Hmm. Why haven't there been any more of those, recently?)
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I am no admirer of Donald Rumsfeld, but he didn't need a script, because he really is the Secretary of Defense, and he can handle real, impromptu situations. But Georgie Boy is President only in name and law. He is actually only a front man, playing the part of President, pushed on stage by a collective leadership, our Republican politburo. He can't handle real questions from real soldiers who aren't preselected to give the public the impression that all our soldiers are united in seeing this war as a wonderful thing they are so proud of!
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The cynicism of the Bush Administration is showing, and the people are not pleased.
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New JibJab Cartoon Satire. I saw this mentioned on CNN Headline News today and checked it out. This time the two guys originally from my state, New Jersey, who were ABC News's "Persons of the Year" last year for their comic video "This Land Is Your Land", a satire on Bush and Kerry, address offshore outsourcing. Check it out: Big Box Mart.
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(The current U.S. military death toll in Iraq, according to the website "Iraq Coalition Casualties", is 1,966.)
- posted by L. Craig Schoonmaker @ 12:38 PM