278th Tennessee N.G. Reponse on Questions to Secretary Rumsfeld

I actually appreciate the fact that people in the administration are going in front of crowds to answer questions.

Rumsfeld's press conferences used to be highlights, but he has basically disappeared(for good reason) since Abu Grahib.

I think that more forums are needed like the 2nd presidential debate because while there are bomb throwers on both sides waiting to lambast Democrats and Republicans, there are people who simply are uniformed about what in fact is going on.

Those National Guard guys (or anyone for that matter)don't always have the same access to information that hardcore internet reporters or in the media.

.....WOULD IT BE TOO MUCH TO ASK THAT THE ONE ASKING THE QUESTION DO SO WITH CIVILITY, RESPECT AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF PROTOCOL AND RULES! Which...by the way.....is moot, since the 'soldier' had no intention of following protocol or rules, because he knew he was 'setting up' the Chief! That he did this knowingly and willingly negates your answer, as far as I'm concerned!

What "protocol and rules"?

Following the chain of command?

The entire purpose of an open question forum is to bypass the chain of command.

They are "Permission to Speak Freely" events.

How, exactly, was the soldier "uncivil"? By asking a difficult question?

Open question forums, be they "Captain's Calls" aboard ship or other open question forums where the press are invited are not mandatory. Superiors voluntarily put themselves in such situations and, once they do, they deal with the consequences.

It seems that you are advocating phony events that are advertised as "open question forums" but, in reality, are merely staged skits that are the leadership equivalents of lip synching performances by Ashlee Simpson or Milli Vanilli.

The bottom line is that "open question" forums are either real or fake.

If they are real, a true leader risks and accepts the consequences.

If they are going to be fake, then a true leader would want no part of them and would refuse to stage the event in the first place.

I would say having a reporter 'set up' a soldier to ask questions is the epitome in phony events!!

Exactly.

The shame falls on the reporter that hid behind a soldier and not on Rumsfeld who had the leadership courage to have an open question forum or on the soldier that was manipulated by that reporter.

The U.S. military showed moral courage and the news media showed moral cowardice.

It is far better to have such a situation than having the U.S. military and the news media competing with each other to see who displays and most cowardice and deceit.

Good question. I had assumed everyone was flying in these days until this guy spoke up. A thought about "this guy" - is it possible that he was a Kerry voter and thus easy for this reporter to cull out to ask this controversial question? I am NOT denigrating his service to our country by posing this thought - he sounded intelligent enough to know the answer to his question already.

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