KimC--pardon my cynicism but a secret visit that has the film footage rolling on CNN back in the States while everyone is sitting down in front of the tv after Thanksgiving dinner, and before the president's flight to return to the States leaves the ground?

What the hell is so bloody secret about an international news coup by the White House? You know what would have made this appropriate? Not having Bush's entire speech to the troops running on cable news minutes after it was given, but having a still photographer from the press pool along to take some historic photographs. That would have been in excellent taste, it would have been truly a secret AND surprise visit to the troops, and it wouldn't have triggered the cynical backlash we are already seeing in discussions about it among people like us back here in the US. Just taking a still photographer for having a secret visit recorded for historic purposes would have been a noble act. This several hour long campaign stop was not.

Teribus and others are conveniently overlooking the fact that US presidents, during times of war, routinely honor those who are currently making the sacrifices, not just honor them generically on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. As many have pointed out, there could be a special ceremonial memorial. There could be visits to the troops in the field, not just in a tent at Baghdad airport. There could be visits to the troops stationed in other places in the Middle East like Afghanistan. There could easily be visits by Bush, by his senior administration officials, by his family, to the wounded.

Instead, we get silence and stonewalling. This coward won't acknowledge the painful realities of war for one second, for fear his poll numbers might drop. That means he doesn't have the courage of his convictions when sending our troops into harm's way. He just pays lip service to the troops, while cutting them and their families off at the knees, and cynically manipulating peoples' emotions about the troops at every photo opportunity, for his own pathetic political advantage.

I can't say it enough times, Bush is a gutless coward, and watching that cynical reelection stunt yesterday sickened me.