Bush's Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad

[Frank S.]

I'm a bit surprised it hasn't been brought up yet, but I'm curious as to what you make of it.
On the surface, it was the right thing to do and showed support for our troops.
It was also rather dangerous, and I think revealing. More on that later.
The trip was not his idea. Condi Rice stated it was suggested by spokesman Andrew Card. Really? I doubt it. I see Karl Rove behind it, myself. But the white house spokesman? Come on...
The legions of believers here in the US rave about the president's heart and guts in making the trip, and attach signs of economic recovery to this, as a welcome spate of good news which disprove nay-sayers.
The legions of disbelievers call it grand-standing for political purposes, just as his landing on the aircraft carrier back in May. They will try also to make much of the fact that senators Clinton (yes, her again) and Reed also traveled to Afghanistan and then, on to Iraq to meet troops, but without all the hooplah.
Those in between are trying to see what's happening behind the scene.
Personally, I think the trip was another sign of growing concern (not to say desperation, let's hope not). George Soros and Warren Buffett are vocal in their opinion that the current economic recovery is a bubble, and I tend to agree, though we could all be proved wrong. In fact, no one knows.
Folks either inside or attached to the Pentagon are attempting to defend their push for war, or backtrack to the point where they actually criticize the administration for not following through on their recommendations.
This shows a split at high levels.
For the president to fly into Baghdad, even under cover of darkness, a day after a missile hit a DHL jet is foolhardy to say the least. If the president's entourage felt it was necessary, it must have been felt pretty damn urgent, to risk it. Seemed reckless to me.
Why? What are the current stakes?
I find this very worrisome as to what the situation is actually like.
And where is Dick Cheney, in the meantime?

[Wholley]

Frank.
I feel sure that the New York Times will tell all.
Personally,I think It was a good thing.
Wholley.

[Frank S.]

If only for the troops, I do agree.
Still, it'd be the decent thing to do for him to attend funerals.

Then again, he'd be doing that full time, so...

[Andy O'Pray]

If the trip achieved nothing else, it was good for the morale of the troops.

Aye - Andy.

[Whitey]

I figure it was good for the troops as well, God knows Clinton didn't ever mix much with the regular troops. I was with a unit that put 17 of the 46 cruise missles in Iraq in 1996 and the Admiral didn't even say good job.

As much as I'm sure the trip made the soldiers feel good, I'm sure it was all about Bush's election year stunts. The food looked good, if anything his appearence made sure the troops got a good meal.

My belief in Bush as a patriot ended when I found out he was in the Air Guard flying joyrides over the south when he could have been flying over North Vietnam if he was really a true American patriot. His dad flew in the Pacific. My dad was in Nam. And notice there ain't no Bush family contribution to this war on terror. It's all crap, but the average soldier doesn't consider this and the President serving up chow in the soup I'M A SCAMMER SPAMMER!!! must have made them feel good.

[Sticky Blue]

It was a morale booster for the troops from what I have seen of it. It may well have been a daft idea but it 'appears' from the outside that it was well intentioned. If it boosted morale, he achieved his aim. If it didn't, it showed he had the bottle to do it.

Either way a win win situation for him!

[Frank S.]

I think I understand all points. Upon reflection, I think my main problem is how reckless taking the trip was.
Good on him and I hope the troops got a serious boost from it, but then, I don't work for the Secret Service, otherwise I'd be livid.
This was very, very dangerous. Worth the risk? I doubt it.

[Whitey]

If it was a risk, well I say why shouldn't the President take the same risk the same American dick on the ground is. It is his war after all. If I was president I'd deligate to the Vice the pettyness of playing King of thr USSA and get a kevlar and lead a battalion.

The troops may have fell for it, but this was politics during election year. I got to admit there is something I like about it though. Just if I was King and I had a war going on, I'd be in theater.

If you want to boost troop moral, send them some hookers.

[Spannerman]

I am a critic of Bush's foreign policy but dang me to go into a war zone that was declared over by himself on 1st May was rather a brave thing to do with all the hardware flying about! Apart from the bravery though I do think that Election Year next year might have something to do with it.

C-in-C's should lead by example, I reckon he did just that!

[Frank S.]

Just playing Devil's advocate (again ), but he might have done that when he was of military age, back in his Air National Guard days.
He now has greater and diverse responsibilities and is endangering all of it for... For what exactly?
Interestingly, it could be argued by both supporters and opponents that it's in fact consistent with his "bring them on" comment.
Rationally, though, if you take a couple steps back and consider the role and position of the president of the United States, such a venture seems a tad 'out of control'.

And if you tend to believe this is his decision, as a man of conviction, some reports are contradictory. Rice is 'painting' this as originating from the president and his entourage, but earlier reports outline his uneasiness about it: "[Reuters]: Bush conceded about the Iraq visit, "I was the biggest skeptic of all." "
"Is this a moment that the RNC (Republican National Committee) will try to use as a fund-raising moment? Yes. ... (But) it's a one-day winner. This is not a solution to anything," said Douglas Brinkley, director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans.

Dan Feldman, a National Security Council director under former President Bill Clinton, called the trip a "great PR stunt ... yet another in a long line of photo ops that don't say anything concrete about improving security and what our long-term plans are."

Rice denied the trip was politically motivated. "This was generated out of the president and the policy side," she said, but declined to say if political adviser Karl Rove or Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman were among the handful of aides who knew about the trip.

So much risk for admittedly so little? What gives? Is he that replaceable?

[Spannerman]

What makes this trip so odd is the secrecy involved.

Imagine the fact that he was in Air Force One, to fly through the night what were different countries Air Traffic Controllers told, he has to have clear air space for miles, what if there had been an emergency landing which airfields were on standby, was there a fighter escort once across the Atlantic, and then all of this in reverse!

I guess all of this did really happen and that it wasn't a handful of the press and 600 soldiers in on a massive secret in the middle of the Arizona desert, nah couldn't be could it......?

[Wholley]

I think it was a good thing
to do.It's a Farking long flight and he missed Thanksgiving with his family.
Just seeing the reaction of the 1stAD was worth it.
Mind you,the big question is,Who pardoned Tom Turkey?Gobble Gobble.
Wholley.

[Tab]

Well I think it was worth his effort to go and spend a bit of time with the troops, after all he could have stayed at home and had Thanksgiving with his own family, and yes I know there is an election coming up. Now if he had stayed at home that would have been wrong, instead he went out to the war zone and spent it with the troops and he is still wrong, just what is supposed to do?.

[Blue Streak]

All l can say is well done Bush, that would have been a special occasion for thoughs troops and great for moral......roll on Tony Blair....

[Whitey]

I'd have more respect for him if he put his kids in uniform to do patrols like the rest of our youth over there to fight these terrorists as he calls them. If I was president and I started a war I'd send my son and I might put the VP incharge while I go command a unit myself. The more I think about it, it was just a stunt.