Well, when I posted this, the news tickertape on CNN was running with a message like "Bush makes unpublicized trip to Baghdad..."

I thought to myself--doesn't unpublicized mean it doesn't make the news?

I think one bcan be either a Bush supporter, as easily as a Bush opponent, to see this in a pretty cynical light. Remember, Bush is a politician first--and this was a cynical, manipulative act of a politician, not a selfless noble act of a military hero.

Other presidents have gone to into war zones to boost troop morale, for the same reasons that Bush did yesterday. But none--not one--has snuck in and out the back door like Bush did. This on the heels of his over the top security for the England visit makes him look like a cowardly wimp. As many in the British press pointed out during the London visit, if the Windsors and Churchill could stick it out during the Blitz, what the fuck is up with the pussy Bush? This stunt, on top of the ridiculous amount of security surrounding the London visit, not to mention Hilary Clinton travelling in Afghanistan and Iraq sans 700+ entourage, makes Bush look pretty damn cowardly and foolish. More of an embarrassment to us all, than a hero. No matter how pretty he looked smiling into the camera with the turkey platter in his Army jacket.

I'd much rather have seen him do a surprise, rather than a secret visit to the troops, and stay a little longer than it took to get the film footage for the campaign commericals. He easily could have taken the White House press corps--whiners though the lot of them are for being scooped. And yes, I believe the cameras there filming the photo op are paid for by the same entity that paid for filming of the photo op on the aircraft carrier and the "Mission Accomplished" sign, Bush boosters contributing to the campaign coffers. Why is it that Bush couldn't make any time for visiting any of the 10s of thousands of troops anywhere else in Iraq or the Middle East over the long weekend? Security reasons my ass. That is the mother's skirt this coward always hides behind.

I'm in the camp with those who see this as film footage for campaign commercials, even though I know the troops who got to see him appreciated him making the trip. But to try and sell this to the American public as an act of bravery, or a sacrifice, as they were doing yesterday, saying Bush sacrificed having dinner with his family in Texas for the rough and tumble world of Baghdad (as if the president would endure any hardship or discomfort whatsoever while travelling in a luxury jet with military escorts) just made it look all the more like a cynical manipulation of his reelection campaign.

I know such things are seen as morale boosters for the troops, but c'mon--how many of the troops actually got the chance to see him? How about the troops who really need some morale boosting at this point, like the 101st? What, the schedule for his weekend at the ranch couldn't be changed? Gimmee a break. And I'm with Peter about his failure to honor any of the fallen. Why not a special memorial service for them over the weekend, giving thanks and showing any gratitude whatsoever for their and their families' sacrifices for the country? But no, the gallant one can't be bothered to remember the fallen--that might make his poll numbers drop. Like I said, this guy is a coward without the courage of his convictions to stand behind the troops killed. He could just as easily have visited Walter Reed hospital to visit the wounded too, but does he? No. If he really supported the troops he could fund a few paltry billion to the health and welfare of the military grunt and their families, but does he? No, he slashes the budget for the health and welfare of troops at the same time he approves skyrocketing programs for military programs that will never work, so his fat cat cronies will make big campaign donations.

And no, I'm not a Democrat. I'm an independent voter, thank you very much. But I am damn sick and tired of this administration cynically playing the troop card to play on peoples' emotions.