Going to the Polls
Given the continuing downward trend in his poll numbers, the Shrubbery keeps trying to arrange events that put him in a better light, but they aren’t working.
As Terry at Nitpicker notes he has Three Down and three to go for the complete set. Perhaps he should check with Colin Powell who apparently has some affinity for that attempt.
The latest failure, referenced in this CBS piece, Bush, Troops Have Rehearsed Chat, is insulting to the military.
While the 42nd Infantry Division is now a unit of the New York National Guard, the members should have more regard for the history of the “Rainbow Division” than to participate in a political event.
When Rumsfeld has a chat with the troops, it got embarrassing, but it was real. Real soldiers got to ask their questions, and Rumsfeld gave them answers. Rumsfeld may not have liked the questions, and the troops may not have liked the answers, but the event gave Rumsfeld information he couldn’t get any other way.
Bush could have gotten his questions answered in the manner he wanted by watching the Pentagon TV channel. Talking to division Public Relations personnel is not the way to find out what is happening in a war zone and ordering the military to participate in staged political events is demeaning.
I doubt it was an accident that the rehearsal made it onto to the general network feed. I would guess that someone who was unhappy with what was going on arranged for the “accident”.
