Milbank: A Defining Moment in a War and Presidency

[kskiska]

By Dana Milbank
Friday, November 28, 2003; Page A01

(snip)

While the troops cheered the moment, it is too soon to know whether the image of Bush in his Army jacket yesterday will become a symbol of strong leadership or a symbol of unwarranted bravado.

Iraqis may be reassured that the United States will put down the insurgency and restore order in their country. Or they may take the image of Bush landing unannounced at night without lights and not venturing from a heavily fortified military installation as confirmation that the security situation in Iraq is dire indeed.

But one thing is certain. Bush's Thanksgiving Day surprise ties him, for better or worse, ever more tightly to the outcome of the Iraq struggle.

"It raises the stakes," said Rich Bond, a former head of the Republican Party. "When you're playing poker and somebody is coming at you, a great way to deter them is to raise the stakes. George Bush just placed his stature in an extraordinary way to reassert his commitment to Iraq."

(snip)

It is also not unprecedented for a president to make unannounced trips in wartime under intense security. Franklin D. Roosevelt's trips to Yalta and other ports during World War II make that clear. And while people may debate the wisdom of sending Air Force One into an area known to have frequent antiaircraft fire, security experts said the secret defensive technologies on Air Force One put the plane at little risk compared with the DHL aircraft that was struck over Baghdad a few days ago.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17520-2003Nov27.html

[virtualobserver]

1. Mission Accomplished II : the sequel

coming to a theatre near you.

[dflprincess]

2. And speaking of Roosevelts

Eleanor took more risks and spent more time visiting troops near combat zones that Dimson ever will. She was often known to write and in some cases visit the families of wounded GI's she had met. (Listening Pickles?)

[maggrwaggr]

8. You mean like Hillary?

George did this simply to steal Hillary's thunder. And it worked.

[Catt03]

3. This sneak trip was irresponsible

If I respected the man, I would still be appalled at a president sneaking off in the dead of night, flying to the other wide of the earth, landing without security, speaking to 600 soldiers (what about the other 140,000 +), staying two hours and costing the tax payers millions, for a photo op.

This was not George Bush's light bulb moment. It was the real president-----Karl Rove. The Republicans should have nightmares, if they have any morals and ethics at all, for allowing Rove to dictate foreign, economic and public policy.

[maggrwaggr]

9. no problem, they don't have any ethics or morals at all

haven't you figured that out yet? They'd eat their mother's eyeballs to get what they want.

[impeach the gop]

4. Could be a macho cheerleader thing

Just a little half time stimuli

[Insider]

5. afghanistan for christmas? n/t

[The Zanti Regent]

6. It would be nice if Milbank stopped blowing Bush at least once

But then, EVERYONE at the WHORESHINGTON POST blows Bush!

[TXDemGal]

7. "A symbol of strong leadership or a symbol of unwarranted bravado"

How about a symbol of what it really was:

a shameless, photo-opportunistic, propaganda stunt?

[maggrwaggr]

10. Yeah, certainly no bravado from the chickenhawk.

So courageous sneaking into Baghdad under the cover of darkness and sneaking away before anybody knows he's there.

Real courageous.

[peterh]

11. As much as I had to admit it…this was a plum of a caper…

All else seems irreverent right now…the war, the deaths, the deceit…even Jackson and Peterson….journalists (cough) are having wet dreams over this photo-op. The Friday morning papers will be awash with this story…. unwarranted bravado, sure, just like the carrier landing, but I think the twit scored a hit with this one.

No doubt we’ll see a pop in the polls after this, but as memory fades and reality sets back in….look for another photo-op. As insider mentioned….Christmas in Afghanistan? Hmmmm….

[Donna Zen]

12. A hit or not a hit?

Yes, he will use the photos, but it will only be a hit with those who support him anyway. What is surely does is take the issue off the table for his opponents. Karl saw that this was becoming a crack in the image, it is all about image. Bush is running a "who" campaign, not a "what" or "how" campaign.

The guy CNN has reporting from Baghdad is about to lose his job. Mark it on your calendar. He was blunt, with barely disguised anger about this dog and pony show. Things have gotten worse over there, and bush who has no policy beyond $87 billion and more bodies, has no policy.

I'm sure Milbank will volunteer to go and write love letters to junior from the front when the job becomes open.