WP: Troops Prohibited from talking to Bush at Ft. Benning photo op

[RedEarth]

....from WP............

To ensure that there would be no discordant notes here, Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, the base commander, prohibited the 300 soldiers who had lunch with the president from talking with reporters. If any of them harbored doubts about heading back to Iraq, many for the third time, they were kept silent.


By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 12, 2007; Page A12

FORT BENNING, Ga., Jan. 11 -- The pictures were just what the White House wanted: A teary-eyed President Bush presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to a slain war hero in the East Room, then flying here to join the chow line with camouflage-clad soldiers as some of them prepare to return to Iraq.

There are few places the president could go for an unreservedly enthusiastic reception the day after unveiling his decision to order 21,500 more troops to Iraq. A military base has usually been a reliable backdrop for the White House, and so Bush aides chose this venerable Army installation in western Georgia to promote his revised strategy to the nation while his Cabinet secretaries tried to sell it on Capitol Hill.

...............

White House officials had promised reporters they could talk with soldiers. But that was not good enough for Wojdakowski. "The commanding general said he does not want media talking to soldiers today," spokeswoman Tracy Bailey said. "He wants the focus to be on the president's speech." Only hours later, after reporters complained, did the base offer to make selected soldiers available, but the White House plane was nearing departure.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011100389.html?nav=rss_politics

[Philosoraptor]

1. But of course.

[demnan]

2. God Damn that General

I mean he effectively sensored his troops, knowing they had something valuable to say. And they are ready for a THIRD trip to Iraq? If they have to die, suffer, be mutilated and driven crazy, why couldn't he let them do it as free men?

[A Simple Game]

8. I suspect he was just the messenger. n/t

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Except as long as they're in uniform and enlisted

they're not really 'free men' able to say things against the CIC.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but it's always seemed to me that 'can't talk bad about the Commander in Chief or will face punishment according to military code of conduct' rule is the same control that dictators use. Yes, it's not a life-ending capitol offense, but it's still the same in that there are severe consequences to it.

[npincus]

3. why didn't they just duct-tape their mouths shut?

[dogday]

4. That's right, the soldiers are only good for photo ops only

Please do not talk to the monkey, don't feed him either... Just take pictures with him .....

[Philosoraptor]

5. They're made of green plastic, buy em' by the gross.

[ClintonTyree]

6. The land of the free.....

muzzling the very people that have been asked to fight in Bush's outrageous war. Yep, they hate us for our freedoms. :sarcasm:

[spanone]

7. Wow, the big brave bush* ate with 'his' soldiers & and never heard a discouraging word....

This whole bush* administration, the whole fucking thing is a sham.

Katrina only exposed one small piece of it.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. Does anyone recall the speech where they staged applause?

IIRC, that was in front of military. A staffer started applauding from the back of the room and to start the rest of the crowd going. One spin was that the military was 'usually a stoic, well-behaved crowd and are trained not to applaud or show reaction' (or words to that effect). The not letting reporters talk to the soldiers thing is the same crap they were doing in 2004 to insulate Bush on the campaign trail.

[genie_weenie]

10. This is nothing new. We have been told since 2003

"To stay in your lane."

"Don't talk about government policy or politics, just say you miss your family and the food's not great."

"Don't discuss things with reporters. Especially, if they say it's off the record. That is merely a trick to get you to say something bad about the President or the Country."

These are direct quotes.

[Norquist Nemesis]

12. I don't remember them protecting Clinton this way

Maybe I missed it. :shrug: