Reply #46: Remember When A Reporter In Iraq Couldn't Ask Rumsfeld A Question

[otohara]

So he worked with one of the soldiers who asked that oh so important question about armor for Humvees? We liked that as I recall. This sounds like an over zealous staffer, eager to get Clinton's global warming answer out there.

n a related development, it was revealed Thursday that a reporter claims to have helped the soldier prepare the question directed at Rumsfeld. The Poynter Institute, a news media think tank in St. Petersburg, Fla., published on its Web site an e-mail attributed to reporter Edward Lee Pitts of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press, which states that Pitts worked with the soldier because he was not allowed to question Rumsfeld himself.

“Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have,” said the e-mail, which was sent to newspaper colleagues.

“I have been trying to get this story out for weeks — as soon as I found out I would be on an unarmored truck,” the e-mail said.

The Defense Department issued a written statement Thursday night saying it was “unfortunate” if a member of the press “pressured” Army Spc. Thomas Wilson to ask the question. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6676765/