Bush Enlists Soldiers In Public Relations Campaign
10 U.S. Soldiers Upbeat in Staged Teleconference
President Bush yesterday sought to rally U.S. troops behind his Iraq strategy -- and he and his aides left little to chance.Before the president spoke via a video link, his event planners handpicked 10 soldiers from the Army's 42nd Infantry and one Iraqi soldier, told them what topics the president would ask about, and watched them briefly rehearse their presentations before going live.
The soldiers did not disappoint. Each one praised the president, the war and the progress in training Iraqi troops. Several spoke in a monotone voice, as if determined to remember and stay on script.
White House aides then put the soldiers back in their packaging and returned them to the toy shelf.
