If the event was "scripted," who wrote the script? A. If it was the soldiers or related staff, that's perfectly understandable and even advisable. You don't want to go on air, talking to the president, not know what to say and look like a total jackass. Not having notes for this is like giving a speech without notes -- not advisable for someone who is not a public speaker by trade. B. If it was the White House, it makes our government look a little ridiculous. But, this would only be disingenous in a very minor way. What sort of false impression would we get exactly from such a display? Scripted or unscripted, no one is suggesting the information they imparted was false. One may get a false impression as to how well soldiers like the president, or how well-informed the soldiers are, or some such. Not really earth-shattering. How could so much be made of so little?
President Bush (Will Forte) at Q&A session with troops in Iraq: My second completely spontaneous question [looks down at notes] is about the Iraqi electricians. Were the electricians incredibly successful by all accounts? U.S. Soldier in Iraq (Rachel Dratch): Yes, Mr. President, the elections went very smoothly. The Iraqi people are so full of freedom they could burst. Sometimes an Iraqi will be so full of democracy they'll walk into a crowded area and explode. --Saturday Night Live