TOP OF PAGE UPDATE!
The editor of Pitts’s newspaper speaks:
“He is there to write stories, not make news himself,” Griscom said of Pitts. The editor added that the recipient of the e-mail, whom he would not identify, should not have passed it along.
The recipient should not have passed it along? Good God, Mr. Griscom. It’s called NEWS!!!!!!!!!! That’s how a lot of news gets made–someone does something unethical and gets caught because their ego demands that they pound their chest.
Thanks, again to Drudge. (Links below)
Drudge broke the story of Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Edward Lee, who planted the armor soldiers at Donald Rumsfelds press conference. InDC Journal has this. And he points out Michelle Malkin’s observations.
Pitts, who is embedded with 278th Regimental Combat Team in Kuwait and preparing to enter Iraq, smugly describes his ADA-style activism:
I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts. Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have. While waiting for the VIP, I went and found the Sgt. in charge of the microphone for the question and answer session and made sure he knew to get my guys out of the crowd.
His scheme worked. In his own words, Mr. Pittss set up stole the show:
The great part was that after the event was over the throng of national media following Rumsfeld- The New York Times, AP, all the major networks – swarmed to the two soldiers I brought from the unit I am embedded with.
I love this story. During the campaign, over and over, the press tried to manufacture news that would hurt Bushthe Guard memos, the missing explosives, etc. And time after time, the poorly conceived deceptions unraveled within 24 hours, boosting the Presidents popularity and exposing the press as little more than an arm of the Democrat party.
Now, here comes this little Mr. Pitts from Tennessee. He finds a couple of malcontents in his unitand every military unit has some malcontentswrites down a political statement in the form of a question for them to read, and electronically struts about, fists pumping, screaming I da man!
Some of the men in 278th arent malcontents. Some of them will resent Pittss underhanded scheme to embarrass the SECDEF and damage morale in the ranks. No one will hold it against those men if they fail to provide Mr. Pitts with the best equipment, best training, best advice, and best protection when the terrorists come to kill.
Liberals will consider Pittss actions heroic, but I dont. If he dies in Iraq, hell die a loser.
UPDATE: Michelle Malkin adds this link.
UPDATE 2: Outside the Beltway is skeptical. But skepticism is unwarranted, as Pitt’s newspaper has published an Attaboy for its reporter *** activist.
UPDATE 3: Let’s line this up for the Beltway Traffic Jam