To the Point

The Media Prepares for the War on Iraq

Since the War in Vietnam, reporters and soldiers have been like oil and water. Aware that the war of words and images could be crucial to winning against Saddam Hussein, the Pentagon has taken reporters to boot camp and promised that they-ll be in the front lines of any war on Iraq. Still, the new Central Command Headquarters in Qatar will remain off-limits to journalists, and the latest war game was conducted in absolute secrecy. Is the Pentagon really opening the door or merely engaging in a pre-war public relations campaign? We hear what it-s like to cover combat from journalists who reported on the Gulf War, correspondents who are in the Gulf today, and one reporter who-s been through the Pentagon-s boot camp. Newsmaker: Bush Names Donaldson New SEC Chairman President Bush continues to fill out his new economic team. Today, he announced that, as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvey Pitt will be replaced by investment banker William Donaldson. Jeffrey Birnbaum is Washington bureau chief of Fortune magazine. Reporter's Notebook: GAO Suit on Cheney Energy Task Force Dismissed A federal judge has ruled that Vice President Cheney does not have to tell the auditing arm of the Congress just who he talked to while he was formulating energy policy for the current administration. That-s a momentary victory for the Bush White House. David Walker, head of the General Accounting Office, says he may appeal the ruling. Whatever the future, Watergate veteran John Dean says there-s a history to Cheney-s action.