Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I just happened to catch the news of President Bush’s secret Thanksgiving Day trip to Baghdad to have dinner with US troops at Baghdad International Airport. Bush is now the first American President ever to visit Iraq. It must have been a real treat for the troops there. It’s things like this that help explain why Bush remains so popular with the troops.
Now, back to the turkey…
I hate to be an ass, but here’s a post by Mark from a short while ago:
Too bad your theory can’t be put to the test and see if Bush is actually safer walking the streets of Baghdad than London. Somehow, I doubt Bush or his advisors would be too keen on being the guinea pigs of your experiment, however. Bush hasn’t had the nerve to go to the frontlines of the wars he’s endorsed in the past. Why should this one be any different?
“if Bush is actually safer walking the streets of Baghdad than London”
does this is the same as this? (from the article)
“Bush flew in on the plane he most often uses, and White House officials went to extraordinary lengths to keep the trip a secret, fearing its disclosure would prompt terrorist attempts to kill him. The president’s plane — its lights darkened and windows closed to minimize chances of making it a target — landed under a crescent moon at Baghdad International Airport.
Look like everyone is feeling it’s SAFE 😉
Look like everyone is feeling it’s SAFE 😉
It was made as “safe” as possible. But nothing is 100% safe. Keep in mind that the Thanksgiving dinner was held in a regular tent – not a concrete bunker.
Truman went to Berlin in the daytime, with great fanfare and preparation. Bush did the right thing, but would he have done it without the cameras recording the event for commercials?
And still waiting for any funeral appearance….
There’s a good reason why he doesn’t show up at funerals – and Presidents rarely do. I doubt families would care to have to go through metal detectors and Secret Service security sweeps to get to their family member’s funeral. It’s the same reason that Cheney was asked not to come to the Wellstone memorial.
Of course don’t let the facts get in the way of a partisan argument…
Bush did the right thing, but would he have done it without the cameras recording the event for commercials?
Then you would claim that there was no media present because the white house didn’t want people to see the supposed negative reaction of the troops. Come on.
Yeah, Stan, and if it had been a Democratic president going to a combat area for a holiday visit you’d be calling it political grandstanding without a second thought. At least I’m giving the guy credit for going.
Clinton met the embassy bombing victims’ remains at Dover AFB, eulogized victims of terrorist attacks, and didn’t start an admittedly (thank you, Mr. Perle) illegal war. He also promoted new rules concerning the DoD’s handling of veterans’ funerals, mandating that certain provisions be provided by the military to honor the dead.
And regarding Cheney at the Wellstone event: what is the biggest difference between the Wellstone memorial and the average military funeral for soldiers killed in Iraq? If you answered “20,000 people were at the Wellstone event, and screening all of them would have been much more of a pain than you’re implying,” then you win!