Rumsfeld Gets Blunt Questions And Follow Ups From Ex-CIA Official

One of the new leafs Bush administration members seem to have turned over is to inch towards more accessibility in less controllable situations. If they’re not getting all that pesky publicity about keeping people who disagree from entering, they can then focus on their message.

The problem is that if you are in a situation where polls show your support plummeting in terms of policy and the popularity and credibility of key administration members, unless you only admit The Choir to preach to, there’s a chance you might get more than softball questions. It’s a true political Catch 22.

Donald Rumsfeld — whose poll ratings are going in the opposite direction of gas prices — had such a moment while speaking to a group in Atlanta today.

Watch THIS VIDEO and you’ll see a highly unusual event: a public official being asked in blunt terms what at least part of the populace is asking equally bluntly in their places at work each day. The questioner who asked the military decider — and continued to ask equally blunt follow up questions — is an former-CIA analyst…a fact that will ensure that video of this confrontation will get widespread interational airing and attention. The AP:

Anti-war protesters repeatedly interrupted Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during a speech Thursday and one man, a former CIA analyst, accused him in a question-and-answer session of lying about Iraq prewar intelligence.

“Why did you lie to get us into a war that caused these kind of casualties and was not necessary?” asked Ray McGovern, the former analyst.

“I did not lie,” shot back Rumsfeld, who waved off security guards ready to remove McGovern from the hall at the Southern Center for International Studies.

With Iraq war support remaining low, it is not unusual for top Bush administration officials to encounter protests and hostile questions. But the outbursts Rumsfeld confronted on Thursday seemed beyond the usual.

Three protesters were escorted away by security as each interrupted Rumsfeld’s speech by jumping up and shouting anti-war messages. Throughout the speech, a fourth protester stood up in the middle of the room with his back to Rumsfeld in silent protest.

Rumsfeld also faced tough questions from a woman identifying herself as Patricia Robertson, who said she had lost her son in Iraq. Robertson said she is now raising her grandson and asked whether the government could provide any help.

Rumsfeld referred her to a Web site listing aid organizations.

Expect more of this. As polls go down, the anger factor is rising. If the administration is intent on improving its image it may soon have to choose between tightly controlled public appearances again — and all of the bad publicity it entails — or more events where if there’s a Q&A the questions won’t sound as if they’re being asked by Rush or Sean.

FOOTNOTE: Rumsfeld insisted he hadn’t said certain things. As you can see from the link above, that’s already being researched. That itself can become an issue and bone of contention — and the least thing the administration or Rumsfeld needs is another credibility problem.

The wisest course for the administration would be to continue to get its officials out there and answer tough questions — but be prepared to answer the questions ahead of time. And make sure answers are accurate.