Too Good To Be True? Obama Iraq Troop Greeting Allegedly Staged

So says MacsMind (via Flopping Aces via Minority Report via Jeff Emanuel at RedState).

MacsMind's post is in response to an all-too-predictable gusher delivered by Democratic operative disguised as Associated Press reporter Jennifer Loven on April 7 (bold is mine):

Cheered wildly by U.S. troops, President Barack Obama flew unannounced into Iraq on Tuesday and promptly declared it was time for Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country" after America's commitment of six years and thousands of lives.

"You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country," the president said as he made a brief inspection of a war he opposed as candidate and now vows to end as commander in chief. "That is an extraordinary achievement."

MacsMind contends that the troop contingent was contrived, based on an e-mail he says he received "from a sergeant that was there." The corresponding sergeant also dropped a telltale clue (in bold):

We were pre-screened, asked by officials “Who voted for Obama?”, and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.

Take a look at the picture at AP and notice all the cameras are the same models? Coincidence? I think not.

Well, well, here's the picture in question:

Indeed, there are an awful lot of cameras that look awfully identical.

Another consolidated wire report found at the Dallas Morning News at midnight on April 8 described the event as "hundreds of U.S. troops cheering wildly" and as "a stunning show of appreciation for Obama from military men and women who have made great sacrifices, many serving repeated tours in a highly unpopular war."

So it seems that the establishment press got played. It also appears that New Media made them look like the fools they are. And it looks like Team Obama is going to have to improve its stealth techniques the next time around.

Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.