Reading The (Breaking News) Pictures: <em>Bush Stages "Spontaneous" Teleconference With Iraqi Troops</em>

This is today's photo of the President's video teleconference with U.S. troops in Iraq that BushCo. intended us to see:

And this is what happened just prior that we weren't supposed to see (Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged - link).

Here's the Pentagon officer reviewing the script of the "supposedly spontaneous" questions and answers with the troops.

Here is a P.R. type walking through the set as the cameras roll.

Here is another P.R. type going by with a cell phone attached to his ear.

Finally, here's Bush (after the supposedly secret rehearsal) following the script with the troops.

And, oh yes, here's the press conference where Scott McClellan directly lies about it.

(If the most relevant images capture Bush and the Pentagon spokesperson, I think the most interesting involve the operatives. How often do we get to see those nameless "behind-the-scenes" buzz makers floating inside the frame?)

Video at Crooks and Liars here.

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com

(image 1: J. Scott Applewhite/A.P. Washington/Tikrit. October 13, 2005. Via YahooNews. remaining images: CNN video. October 13, 2005. Via Crooks and Liars.)