President Bush Meets with N.Z., Milbloggers Print E-mail
Written by N.Z.   
Friday, 14 September 2007
You might wonder whether the President of the United States pays any attention to blogs supporting the war effort. Is he aware of the contribution that milblogs and new media more generally are making to the effort to educate the American public on the war and convince them of the necessity of victory?

You can stop wondering.  I am here today to happily report that he is indeed aware, and does indeed appreciate the work bloggers are doing.

This morning, I had the privledge of being among a small group of eight bloggers invited to the White House for a personal meeting with the President. We spent a full hour in the Roosevelt Room with President Bush and a few senior staff, including both outgoing press secretary Tony Snow and incoming press secretary Dana Perino. In addition to the folks in the room, we had two embedded bloggers videoconferenced in from Baghdad. After the discussion, the President showed us into the Oval Office, did some quick photos which each of us, and then led us out to the patio where he continued out to Marine One and we watched him take off while the assembled press watched us, clearly wondering "who the heck are those people?".

Not surprisingly, the President did not break any news with us, but he did have a few great comments and was overall just as engaging in person as I had expected him to be. The biggest impression I came away with is best expressed in a thought that occured to me during the session, which was that anyone who sat through an hour with this man as I did and came away unconvinced that he sincerely believes in the message of freedom and the necessity of this fight would have to be crazy. He exudes sincerity and passion when he speaks of the this mission, and I'm simply baffled by anyone who tries to claim that it's all politics, or all Halliburton, or all about the oil. Not for the man I saw today, it isn't.

We each had a chance to ask questions, and I took my time to tell the President about our efforts with the Stand By the Mission petition. I emphasized the success we've had and the way we've been able to do our part via the petition to push back against MoveOn's libel against General Petraeus by giving Americans a way to express their support for the general and our troops, and he of course welcomed the news.

So I wasn't trying to create a transcript of the session, but took a few notes. Here are some of the most interesting quotes I captured (all approximate):
  • The President told of how his father fought the Japanese, and how he himself had now met with the Japanese Prime Minister in the Oval Office to discuss how Japan and America could work together to help newly forming democracies. He emphasized the need to "transform former enemies into allies."
  • On progress in the war: "Wars don't go from Point A to Point Z; democracies don't go from Point A to Point Z."
  • On the Taliban's "offensives" in Afghanistan: "When they show up, they are losing."
  • On Al Qaeda's leadership: "When you look at the history of the Chief Operating Officer of Al Qaeda [bin Laden's top deputy], you're not alive or you're captured."
  • On the need for success in Iraq vs. withdrawal: "If you think it's bad now, imagine what the world would be like if we created a void [by withdrawing]."
  • On the challenges of finding democratic leaders to step up in Iraq, he described a conversation including Ambassador Crocker where someone cited the example of South Africa's Nelson Mandela and asked of Iraq, "Where's Mandela?". The President said "Crocker said, 'dead'...[killed by Saddam]...this is a society that's learning how to be a democracy."
  • On the new Iraqi government's need to gain the trust of their people: "Does the average cat understand... this is a government for the people?" (yes, the President said "cat". Groovy.)
  • Responding to one of the bloggers in Iraq he expressed envy that they could be there, and said he'd like to be there but "One, I'm too old to be out there, and two, they would notice me."


This was a no-press event (although it was not off-the-record, so I'm not telling tales out of school), but there was an official photographer taking pictures that we'll all be getting copies of, so I'll share those when they are ready. And if you're wondering why I haven't named the other bloggers at the meeting, that's on purpose: some of the folks present are even more cautious about their public profile than I am, and until I hear for sure who wants to be mentioned vs. who doesn't, I will err on the side of leaving it to each attendee to post on their participation themselves. But check back; soon as I see other folks posting on the event, I'll link to them here.

Finally, I'd like to publicly thank the President and all the White House staff who worked to make this event happen (they know who they are). It was a great idea, and I hope the White House continues their increasing efforts to reach out to bloggers and new media.

Update - More from the other attendees:

Castle Argghhh!

Bill Roggio (from Iraq)

Bill Ardolino (from Iraq) 

 

Comments (38)Add Comment
...
written by rc, September 14, 2007
very nice :thumbsup:
...
written by Donald Sensing, September 14, 2007
Wonderful day for you, NZ. I'd like to think that if I were still actively blogging about the war, I might have been invited, too. Let me assure you (recollecting my days in DC) that an hour with the President of the US (no matter name or party) is a really major piece of time out of his calendar, probably more than you realize. Congrats, and keep up the geat work.

Does anyone else notice that tnhe eight quotes NA captured, above, are penetrating, sober and optimistic? These are not the thoughts of a shallow man.
Yeah, so?
written by Armed Liberal, September 14, 2007
Did you at least pester him about publicly explaining what the war is about?


A.L.
Don't Mind AL
written by Jeff Nuding, September 14, 2007
He's just jealous. C'mon, AL, if your candidate wins, I'm sure you can stay in the Lincoln Bedroom (for a small unbundled contribution).

Great work, NZ, and quite an honor, well deserved.
Actually,...
written by John of Argghhh!, September 14, 2007
AL, we *did* pester him about that, although not quite that directly.

And Don - I don't know how the "Lucky 10" got selected, but you'd have gotten my vote. Two redlegs to counter the two grunts, Matt and Schippert.

Leave aside the whole quality of blogging thing.
Roll, Please?
written by JimS, September 14, 2007
Great Job, N.Z.!

Would you mind though, listing all the attendees, as well as the URLs to their respective blogs?

Much appreciated!


Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Congrats NZ
written by Mark E., September 14, 2007
Charles, you are a moron.

N.Z., Congrats on meeting the president. What an honor. Keep up the great work.
I love it when Bush does stuff like this
written by Peg C., September 14, 2007
I liked reading the accounts of his hour (or so) with non-warbloggers a while back as well. I suspect Tony Snow had a big hand in each.

What a great day you all had -- can't wait to see pics.
Sorry Charlie...
written by Paul Daly, September 14, 2007
"Well, we knew (past tense) Bush only (sic) has (present tense)..."

Who's the "knuckle-dragging, barely educated, barely literate" "low-life?"

Nice try at English, Chuckie.

Congrats, NZ.
THANKS
written by FRIEDA, September 14, 2007
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH PRESIDENT BUSH. I AM A MIDDLE EASTERN AND THIS IS THE ONLY AMERICAN PRESIDENT THAT I ADMIRE, THE REST OF THEM, IGNORED THE MIDDLE EASTERN PEOPLE AND JUST PROTECTED THE DICTATORS. BUSH IS DIFFERENT AND I APPRECIATE HIS "FREEDOM MISSION". WE DON'T LIKE TO LIVE IN "FEAR" SOCIETY, WE, LIKE YOU WANT TO LIVE IN "FREE" SOCIETY. IRAQ WILL BE A GERMANY OF MIDDLE EAST, BUT IT WON'T HAPPEN IN 5 YEARS!

WHERE WERE ALL THE LIBERALS WHEN SADDAM WAS KILLING THOUSANDS OF HIS OWN POEPLE? AND NOW ALL OF SUDDEN THEY CARE ABOUT HUMAN LIVES OVER THERE. WHERE IS THE LIBERAL OUTCRY FOR IRANIAN REGIME THAT HAS TURNED IRAN INTO "HAND-CHOPPING" AND "WOMEN-STONING" SOCIETY?

GOD BLESS THE AMERICAN MILITARY , HISTORY WILL JUDG YOU THE BEST.
Congrats
written by Jane/Armies, September 14, 2007
You have been doing a GREAT job and this is well earned recognition. Congrats.
Thanks
written by Texas Gal, September 14, 2007
for sharing this NZ! I look forward to the pictures!

Charles, may you live long enough to see you are wrong and still have your sensibilities to know it.
...
written by wordsmith, September 14, 2007
Thanks for sharing NZ!
A loya jirga of virtual militia war lords?
written by Cannoneer No4, September 14, 2007
just
as the emergence of “real” insurgents sometimes
spawn the creation of counterinsurgent militias,
the emergence of “virtual” insurgents has led to the
formation of virtual counterinsurgent vigilantes. One
example is the “Internet Haganah,” part of a network
of private anti-terrorist web monitoring services, which
collects information on extremist websites, passes
this on to state intelligence services, and attempts to
convince Internet service providers not to host radical
sites.67 The logic is that it takes a network to counter
a network. As insurgents and terrorists become more
networked and more “virtual,” states, with their
inherently bureaucratic procedures and hierarchicalorganizations, will be ineffective. Vigilantes, without
such constraints, may be.



http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB790.pdfRETHINKING INSURGENCY by Steven Metz

Blogospheric Resistance — IO In Denied Battle Spaces
http://cannoneerno4.wordpress.com/2007/04/29/blogospheric-resistance-io-in-denied-battle-spaces/

Mas
written by Mark Storer, September 15, 2007
Charles-
I'm a high school English teacher and a certified sommelier--two great tastes that go great together, I suppose. I've been teaching for 17 years. I've written articles for Wines and Vines, The Los Angeles Times, The English Journal and a bunch of others. I've got a Master of Arts degree in Education, a post-graduate fellowship in writing from the University of California, a Bachelor's in English--and I used to host a food and wine radio show for a local NPR affiliate here where I live. Now, if that's your definition of "flat-earther" or "knuckle-dragger" well, OK.

And I voted for President Bush. Twice.
...
written by James Rosen, September 15, 2007
Charles, please: you're just boring.
Knuckle-draggers Untie!
written by Brian-knuckle-dragger, September 15, 2007
Dear Charles,
Being primarily of Welsh descent and therefore genetically predisposed to hauling nets and digging coal, perhaps the knuckle-dragging comment may apply.
However, a flat-earther?
I proudly live amongst the 28%'ers not from any lack of education but rather because of it.
The study of History and Science is highly rewarding.
Why did you know that the percentage of Lemmings that go over the edge to preserve the rest may approach 72%?
And while you and the rest of your ilk are busy slapping backsides as you congratulate each other for having the intellectual acuity to follow the signs that say "This Way To Egress", please be sure to fill out the surveys that ask you to explain how a majority of the population can only muster ~ 13% approval ratings for the job your (presumably) Democratic controlled congress is mustering.
Please try not to damage your exit pole with the metaphorical door on your way out.
And again,
So long and thanks for leaving all the fish,
Brian
Americans Untie!!
written by Crusty Dem, September 15, 2007
Brian-Knuckle-dragger,
I'm pretty sure the main reason the democratic congress has low approval ratings is because they haven't stopped (or even slowed) the president in his quixotic quest to bankrupt the treasury and demolish our military.
...
written by Oldtimer, September 15, 2007
I wish you folks would not reply to "Charles Giacometti". If you "Google" him, you will see that posting snide comments on moderate/conservative blogs is the only mark he has made in life (maybe he really does live in his parents basement). Charlie is clearly of the ilk who believe that hating Bush is a political philosophy and who constantly seek to curry favor with their economic/social betters in the media and celebrity worlds by expressing that contempt. The responses that he provokes from you good people is nourishment to him and probably the only thing in his life that gives him any sense of importance. In reality, Chuck (or "Giacko") is a cockroach. So ignore him (but step on him if you get a chance).
Bush has freed 50 million people
written by Tom Paine, September 15, 2007
George Bush has freed 50 million people from two of the most murderous regimes on earth. He has given those people two U.N.-approved constitutional democracies, and is protecting them from even more murderous butchers until their new governments can grow up enough to do it without help.

No one on the left side of the fence would (or could) have done any of those things better, as well, or AT ALL.
Well put, Mr. Paine.
written by Douglas R. Pratt, September 15, 2007
And I'm sure he knew he would be vilified...GWB is a student of history. He is also a poker player. Now that things are turning his way (and ours, those of us who will admit it), it's great fun to figure out his strategery.
Canadian guy
written by John Vossos, September 15, 2007
I enjoyed the post and the comments. I hear oldtimer regarding 'Chuckie the genius leftie'. Trust me, Canada is chocked full of those types. Please allow me to state just one thought to Chuckie. It is the same thing I say to the cheese eating surrender monkeys up here in the Great White North ... Chuckie, you sound like a man in great pain ... and I am enjoying that.

We presently have a right-leaning federal government in Canada who supports Mr. Bush as do many of us outside of he limp-wristed metro areas. There are more leftist voters here, but we are multi party democracy therefore, in an effort to become slaves, the Left vote often splits between the Socialists, Communists, Quebec separatists and the Greens whom I would only take seriously if Kermit were their leader.

I thank leaders like Mr. Bush and the American soldier for the freedom and prosperity I enjoy in my county.

And thank you for allowing me to drag my knuckles across this page.
Thanks for sharing this
written by Christinewjc, September 15, 2007
Of course we would not hear about this in the MSM. If I didn't run across your blog via LGF, I probably would not have known about this event. Congrats for being selected to meet with President Bush. Great work here!
...
written by KarlE, September 15, 2007
Congrats NZ- nice to see you get credit for all you do for the Victory Caucus! What a great opportunity- and much deserved!
...
written by Charlotte Montgomery, September 15, 2007
I don't have a blog, but I read them daily. As a registered Democrat, I am really tired of the defeatest, name-calling members of my party AND the few Republicans who are scared they won't get reelected. GO to Joe Lieberman, too. I am changing my registration to Republican Monday morning because the Democrats are not the party I wish to be associated with any longer. Congrats to NZ for meeting and engaging the President, and bouquets to Mr. Bush for utilizing the talents and insights of the excellent bloggers who really investigate and report the news----good or bad.
...
written by perry, September 15, 2007
Security is quickly improving in Iraq. Anbar isn't alone. The same success is occurring in the triangle of death,Diyala,and certain neighborhoods in Baghdad. Shia tribes are starting to emulate Sunni sheiks in an effort to rid their areas of the Mahdi Army. Democrats stuck their finger in the air and guessed wrong. By election day,soldiers in Iraq will be viewed as keepers of the peace,because the insurgency is already winding down.
FGFM
written by FGFM, September 16, 2007
I'm a high school English teacher and a certified sommelier

I'm impressed!
Thanks
written by MP, September 16, 2007
NZ, thank you for this great wrap up on the meet and for all you do.
You gotta be kidding me.
written by Les Ismore, September 17, 2007
"Does the average cat understand...."
And the one about wishing he could be there....

"These are not the thoughts of a shallow man" - Donal Sensing
No Donald these are the thoughts of a clueless man, a man who thinks that if he claps hard enough, things will somehow work out. These quotes need to be spread far and wide, all across America.
Differing opinion
written by Devildawg, September 17, 2007

"The biggest impression I came away with is best expressed in a thought that occurred to me during the session, which was that anyone who sat through an hour with this man as I did and came away unconvinced that he sincerely believes in the message of freedom and the necessity of this fight would have to be crazy. He exudes sincerity and passion when he speaks of the this mission, and I'm simply baffled by anyone who tries to claim that it's all politics, or all Halliburton, or all about the oil. Not for the man I saw today, it isn't."

I don't discount his sincerity and passion. However, this is my main problem with his approach to the war. That sincerity and passion is what has led to the continuation of the current situation and such inflexibility and unwillingness to except anything other than "victory". His passion masks reality. His conviction distorts the truth. His passion does not allow him to acknowledge that anything but his own fantastical image of an Iraqi democracy transforming the Middle East is possible. So instead of considering other alternatives to his own view of IraQ, he forces his belief, his passion onto the country and the soldiers who serve his misguided mission.

Interesting account of your meeting and I am sure it was definitely a highlight for you.
...
written by VietnamEraVet, September 17, 2007
Did you ask him what happens if this wonderful democracy he is building in Iraq decides to vote to join their fellow Shiites in Iran the way his father feared? Will that mean "Time for another regime change?" Maybe he should ditch this excuse the way he ditched the idea of WMDs in Iraq and connections to international terrorism before it blows up in his face like all the rest. (Oh that's right. I forgot, he is planning to leave this mess and the blame for it on the next President while he sits comfortably in his library reading the latest installment of My Pet Goat.)
Did you ask him what he says to mothers who have lost their sons in Iraq thinking there were WMDs there? "Opps??? "Not my mistake." Is that what he says.

Did you ask him why, if this war is so important, he has not put a war tax on to pay for the war but prefers instead to put the bill on our kids charge card? And for that matter, why is not a single member of his family engaged in this "noble" fight?

Did you ask him why he commuted the sentence of a man who was convicted of blocking the investigation into who leaked the name of Valorie Plame??..you know the woman the CIA says was a spy ..but Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity say really wasnt?

Did you ask him about those 90 books he reads each year and why if he reads so much he still cant put a sentence together?

I could go on but the fact is that if you don't understand by now that this man is a contemptible liar and maintains only the support of the mindless die hards that insist on thinking this war is actually helping us and don't understand is really Osama Bin Ladin's wildest dream come true, then you are truly delusional.

And as far as your remarks that you can tell by his demeanor his sincerity, you could say the same for just about any convicted felon or serial liar.

Bush is a threat to this nation and if allowed to continue his policies will destroy this nation's military as they have already destroyed our good name throughout the world.

I can tell you this because I have seen it all before. Young men dying for lies and bullshit of old men. Robert Mc Namara knew the Vietnam war was lost years before he admitted it. He just kept up the charade while thousands died. Bush knows this war is lost and the causes false but he keeps up the charade to keep the flag wavers who never bother to really ask the hard questions. Empty slogans and cheap photo ops will do for them. War is peace and we are busy destroying villages in order to save them.

But I guess each generation has to learn for itself and usually the hard way. Sorry to even try to open closed minds.. but you know how it is with us defeat-o-crats that want to throw the country under the bus and wave the white flag of surrender!

CL
Vietnam Era Vet
USAF 1969-1972

...
written by JeffW, September 18, 2007
Did anyone ask him how the search for WMD's was going? Or if he feels guilty that he lied about Saddam's ties with Osama? Any chance someone asked why he continues to scare the US public with claims of another 9/11? How about asking just how he plans to pay for this war for the next 10 years while cutting the taxes of the rich and placing the burden on the middle class?

I didn't think so.
Incoherent Ramblings
written by SnogDot, September 18, 2007
This should not come as huge surprise since he provided the opening remarks for the MilBlog conference this year, thanks to the efforts of Andi. He knows, he understands.
oh really?
written by hur hur ur dumb, September 18, 2007
If he's SO interested in freedom, then why is he tapping our phones and telling us to 'watch what we say'?
Hey, Frieda
written by lawyer61, September 18, 2007
You want to know what all of us "lefties" were doing while Saddam was killing thousands of his own people? Raising hell with the Reagan administration who had lifted the Carter Administration's sanctions and began selling Saddam the chemical precursors, military hardware and intelligence he was using to kill his own people!

Pretty damned strange that somehow the "left" is more responsible for all of those deaths than the very people who were supplying him and propping him up during those years. Freida, why don't you do a little homework and find out exactly when and where that Saddam used those chemical weapons on the Kurds and Iranians in violation of International Law. Then see what exactly Ronald Reagan did about it. (The answer is: Not a Damned Thing! Well, except of course sending Donald Rumsfield to Baghdad to negotiate more deals with him, which is where that famous photo of the two of them together originated.) Then go to Amnesty International's archives and read what they were saying about Saddam and why the world should not be supporting the brutal dictator.

I can tell you from personal experience that I was being denigrated as hopelessly naive and un-american for even questioning the resumption of normal relations with Iraq by the Reagan administration by all kind of right of center types. When I told them that he was a brutal dictator who was killing his own people, all I got was blank stares and assurances that he was an important US ally and I didn't know what I was talking about. A few years later and the same people were tossing out the "worse than Hitler" accusation with some regularity. SO DON'T EVEN TRY AND TELL ME THAT THE "LIBERALS" WERE DOING NOTHING, WHEN IT WAS YOU CONSERVATIVES GIVING THE HIM THE WEAPONS AND MATERIALS TO KILL HIS PEOPLE THAT YOU NOW TRY AND BLAME ON OTHERS! What a load of crap!
Wow,
written by Sandy Kaufman, September 19, 2007
so much hate. I am sad to see the way this series of comments has broken down. Basically you have a report on an uplifting meeting with the President of the United States. It does not appear to have been a venue for confrontation but rather a polite arena for civil discussions and perhaps a way to move forward a message the President is trying to convey through new media,( good on him). As I understand it there were a group of bloggers who specifically focus on military reporting. I assume he or his staff believes they share similar goals (namely victory and security for our country and allies) and will help get out his message. What I know about some of these blogs is that they are not yes men. They want victory but they also seek it through truth and vigorous fact finding. Some of it is not flattering to the policies we are engaged in, some of it is. In a conflict you always have to remember that your enemy has no obligations to "play by your rules" or follow your agenda. Getting angry and shooting preverbial spears at this event or those attending seems ludicrous and a waste of time for all of us as we seek to understand what is happening in our world and specifically with our countries policies/actions.


You don't have to like the message being put forward but to say that listening to it and granting it some consideration is the work of closed minded people begs the question of how open or closed minded you are being. What I have seen from those who have been in these types of meetings (be it bloggers, radio talkshow hosts etc..) has been some very thoughtful posts and discussions about where we are today and what we have to face. Realities are being discussed and consequences of all kinds of options are being weighed. If you are open minded I think you can hear all of this (w/o anger) and develop coherent arguments that don't have to deteriorate into name calling or besmirching the characters of our leaders or those who are supportive. You may even find that your prejudices are challenged allowing for a greater understanding of all perspectives. We need to get on with intelligent, educated discussion on the situation America (and really the world) faces.

Let's get back to thanking NZ for attending the meeting and reporting back to us his experiences. Oh, and cudos to the President for holding these meetings (finally), I hope he will continue to reach out and let us hear from him as often as possible. We need his voice to keep the message clear.





People:
written by Miss Ladybug, September 20, 2007
While civil commentary, no matter if it is pro- or anti- the mission of The Victory Caucus, will stand, the same cannot be said for uncivil discourse. Some comments have been removed because they were not civil. Others, though they are critical of the President and the conduct of the current conflict, stand. Let's all be mature grown-ups, shall we?
Ed
written by Robert Frank, October 12, 2007
Excellent... best wishes with your new company.

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