Bush stars - "Waggin' the Dog" - new TV soap spoof.

Dubya, had a videoconference to talk to some of the boots on the ground in Iraq to celebrate the forthcoming “referendum”. It was , like the NOLA charade, curious. No token minorities, one token woman and one token Iraqi.

Dressed in a lounge suit, Dubya stared at the screen and evidently couldn’t understand why ESPN wasn’t on, however he found voice..

"Is it possible to give us a sense, kind of a calibration of what life was like when you first got there, and what it's like today?"

MASTER SERGEANT LOMBARDO: I can tell you over the past 10 months we've seen a tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi security force partners. We've been working side-by-side, training and equipping 18 Iraqi army battalions. Since we began our partnership, they have improved greatly, and they continue to develop and grow into sustainable forces. Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations.

THE PRESIDENT: That's important. The American people have got to know — and I appreciate you bringing that up, Sergeant Major, about how — what the progress is like. In other words, we've got a measurement system —

MASTER SERGEANT LOMBARDO: Well, together —

THE PRESIDENT: I'm sorry, go ahead.

MASTER SERGEANT LOMBARDO: I'm sorry, just, together with our coalition forces, we've captured over 50 terrorists, as well as detained thousands of others that have ties to the insurgency. And I believe it is these accomplishments and the numerous accomplishments from our task force that will provide a safe and secure environment for the referendum vote.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate that. There's no question that we need to stay on the offense, and we need to stay on the offense with well-trained Iraqi forces, side-by-side the finest military ever — ever to exist, and that's the United States military.

MASTER SERGEANT LOMBARDO: That it is, Mr. President. Thank you.

Now does Sergeant Lombardo sound like the sort of grunt who has been dodging the muck and bullets – well ..er…no – Village Voice reports she is actually, a Press relations officer with the 42nd Infantry and is lodged in the Green Zone. 5 of the soldiers were ..er .. officers. She hails from NY and was happy to tell the President the way 9/11 affected her life ....

It is also evident now that the whole thing was even rehearsed – by no less than a Allison Barber, deputy assistant Defense secretary, see pic.

"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"
"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.
"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.
"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.(Video link to Cpt K hometown TV)
And so it went.
"If the question comes up about partnering how often do we train with the Iraqi military who does he go to?" Barber asked.
"That's going to go to Captain Pratt," one of the soldiers said.

When White House Press Turd Mclellan was asked if the soldiers' comments or questions were pre-screened, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan answered, "No."

At a press briefing later on Thursday, a reporter asked McClellan about the teleconference.

Q Scott, why did the administration feel it was necessary to coach the soldiers that the President talked to this morning in Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, I don't know what you're suggesting.

Q Well, they discussed the questions ahead of time. They were told exactly what the President would ask, and they were coached, in terms of who would answer what question, and how they would pass the microphone.

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, are you suggesting that what our troops were saying was not sincere, or what they said was not their own thoughts?

Q Nothing at all. I'm just asking why it was necessary to coach them.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, in terms of the event earlier today, the event was set up to highlight an important milestone in Iraq's history, and to give the President an opportunity to, once again, express our appreciation for all that our troops are doing when it comes to defending freedom, and their courage and their sacrifice. And this is a satellite feed, as you are aware, and there are always technological challenges involved when you're talking with troops on a satellite feed like this. And I think that we worked very closely with the Department of Defense to coordinate this event. And I think all they were doing was talking to the troops and letting them know what to expect.

Q But we asked you specifically this morning if there would be any screening of questions or if they were being told in any way what they should say or do, and you indicated no.

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's what the question was earlier today. I think the question earlier today was asking if they could ask whatever they want, and I said, of course, the President was -- and you saw --

Q And I asked if they were pre-screened.

MR. McCLELLAN: You saw earlier today the President was trying to engage in a back-and-forth with the troops. And I think it was very powerful what Lieutenant Murphy was saying at the end of that conversation, when he was talking about what was going on in January, how the American troops and coalition forces were in the lead when it came to providing security for the upcoming election, an election where more than eight million Iraqis showed up and voted. It was a great success.

And he talked about how this time, when we had the preparations for the upcoming referendum this Saturday, you have Iraqi forces that are in the lead, and the Iraqi forces are the ones that are doing the planning and preparing and taking the lead to provide for their own security as they get ready to cast their ballots again.

Q But I also asked this morning, were they being told by their commanders what to say or what to do, and you indicated, no. Was there any prescreening of --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not aware of any such -- any such activities that were being undertaken. We coordinated closely with the Department of Defense. You can ask if there was any additional things that they did. But we work very closely with them to coordinate these events, and the troops can ask the President whatever they want. They've always been welcome to do that.

So when McLellan says “no” he actually means ….. well, anything he fucking wants.

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.

It's imposible to see who this dipshit nonsense was aimed at, from over here in lukewarm willing Coalition land we cannot understand why Bush isn't hanging upside down from a fucking handy lamp post... but then Kenny's fucked over, Tom is in the doo-doo, Jack is heading for the slammer or the morgue, and Carl looks as though he's dead meat.. Bill Frist has the SEC crawling all over his family business...even Cheney is on his knees. No wonder he turned to Harriet(Helen) there are few left to lie for him any more.Of course if he likes chatting to soldiers .... er... ex Marines ...see pic.

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