Pitts and the Pendulum

By: Greg Mitchell Since Thursday we've published three stories on the controversy surrounding an embedded reporter urging a U.S. soldier in Kuwait to ask visiting Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld a tough question on the lack of armored vehicles in Iraq. Naturally, they've drawn dozens of e-mails, about evenly split in cheering or jeering the journo.

Tom Griscom, editor and publisher of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press, has stood by his reporter, Edward Lee Pitts, but admitted that the paper should have been upfront about the embed?s connection to the national guardsman who asked the question, Spc. Thomas Wilson; and that Pitts should not have written a lengthy email about the incident, which was posted on several Web sites.

The question, in any case, drew wide and enthusiastic applause from other soldiers at the town hall meeting in Kuwait. And, in the aftermath, more armor for more vehicles (finally) seems to be speeding to the Middle East.

The debate shows no signs of slowing, so here is a sample of some of the reactions expressed to E&P.

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William Naegele, Albuquerque, N.M.: "I can't think of a better way to provide the military with an excuse to shut embeds out and send the whole press corps back to Kuwait."

Bill Burt, Atlantis, Fla.: "Pitts deserves a Pulitzer for remarkable initiative. Isn't what he did is what being a journalist is all about? Or is he with troops just to write about what he is told, to the exclusion of what he sees, hears and does himself?"

Tom Fish, Arroyo Grande, Calif.: "I'm sure that most of the GI's in Iraq can think for themselves. Reporter stepped over the line."

H.D. Schmidt, Loma Linda, Calif: "How else would Rumsfeld and even George W. ever really have gotten exposed to this stupid way they went to war? This response comes from me, a staunch Republican who has lost absolute confidence in my president as I hear that he will keep Rumsfeld as his secretary of defense."

Jo Phelan, Lincoln, Calif.: "What a great job of reporting! I want to nominate Lee Pitts to the Dan Rather Hall of Fame."

Elaine Corn, former newspaper editor, Carmichael, Calif.: "Lee Pitts one-upped the closed Bush administration. Look, if they're going to bar the press from asking questions, build this cultural moat around their powerful selves, the enterprise taken by this kid on how to get a question answered was brilliant. The aftermath doesn't even matter. Everyone now knows they're fighting a war with toys. Pitts provoked change, got the truth out about how feebly the soldiers are armored and broke no rules. If Rumsfeld is too afraid to get near the press, sorry, the soldiers will find a way to get answers. What's next? Will even soldiers be barred from asking questions, too?"

Joe M. Richardson: "The duped soldier should be put at the very front of the action, no armor. The cooperating sergeant's career should be over and maybe become MIA. Pitts and all his cronies should be executed as traitors. We are fighting a war, the debate is over, you?re either for us or against us, there is no middle ground. I say start executing the leftists in our country, soon."

Amy Kaye, Miami: "This is really, really scary. The reporter was doing his job. It must be so frustrating for embeds to get to know these fine young soldiers and watch them go off to die, be mutilated, for that gang of crooks in D.C. Whether or not the reporter suffers from this, you can bet your backside the soldier is going to pay and pay and pay."

Peter Minoc, Vallejo, Calif.: "I would hate to think how World War II would turn out if our military had a media like the one today. There were so many friendly-fire deaths to ill-equipped units that led to soldiers dying, but the media of that time knew what the stakes were. The media today has this suicidal belief that their press credentials will protect them from the Islamic fascists. This belief is so strong that you are willing to lower the morale of the people fighting for your right to attack this administration. Stop being the damn story and just report the news!"

Ruth Costakos, Columbus, Ohio: "We are blessed to have a reporter like Mr. Pitts who cares about our troops and figures out how to get the truth out for all of us to know. That takes courage."

Ron Bean, Pachuta, Miss.: "He knew it was a low-life tactic to use a GI that was probably stressed out from having to go into Iraq. Oh, I forgot, anything to get a story. What happened to reporting the news instead of making the news?"

J. Gocht: "Pitts has won the respect of this old soldier, U.S. Army Special Forces, Vietnam, 1962-1966, and the admiration of his brothers and sisters in combat in the 278th RCT. Did you hear the 'hooahs' from all the assembled troopers after Army Spc. Thomas Wilson asked the question? Well did you? Hooah, Pitts, Wilson, and the 278th RCT!"

Thomas Edwards, Hamilton, N.J.: "The boasting of the reporter was not very professional, and I would agree with his editor that he is there to report the news, not to make it. Oddly enough, I felt the behavior reported of the editor, Griscom, was more worrisome. He disciplined the reporter regarding what should and shouldn't be in an e-mail, and he criticized the recipient for forwarding the e-mail to others. Seems like Griscom is OK with probing into the news as he sees it, as long as it isn't into his 'network.' It sounds like under his purview, it is okay to make news as long as you are not caught at it."

Wade Hampton, Phoenix, Ariz.: "That was a well orchestrated con job by Pitts. Sure you?re going to get some cheering, a good portion of our military are indeed liberals who voted for Kerry. Plus the military always needs or wants something. If they made a one-man tank suit they would all want one, although I doubt Kerry would have approved the funding. What the media has done is insure that military personnel probably won't be given the opportunity to ask questions in this manner again."