Mike Allen: With Iraq Trip, an Afterglow, but Uncertain Aftermath

[DeepModem Mom]

Washington Post, Mike Allen:


As President Bush's aides basked Friday in the extensive and emotion-charged coverage of a surprise visit to Baghdad that they considered a logistical and public relations triumph, top Democrats refrained from criticism, even though some predicted the trip would offer Bush little long-term benefit if chaos and casualties continue in Iraq.


The trip triggered a debate over whether Bush's short-term image-polishing might help secure long-term popularity. Strategists in both parties said that by confining his visit to the friendly military setting, Bush avoided criticisms that might have followed a trip featuring high-profile visits with Iraqi officials or reconstruction sites. They said the president may have won a political reprieve at a time when Americans are showing increasing skepticism about the U.S. occupation of Iraq and strategies for ending it.

Administration officials said Bush enjoys surprises and showing himself in charge, and Thursday's whirlwind trip involved both. The president told reporters on Air Force One afterward that he had watched the landing from the cockpit and had spent weeks quizzing his pilot and military and security officials about the trip's feasibility, insisting that it be scrapped if it endangered any Americans. "I was pretty tough," he said.


The 33-hour foray carried political as well as logistical risks, however. Bush's aides engaged in temporary secrecy and deception about his whereabouts, and Democrats said it might make it easier to portray his administration as driven by visual images. Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist who managed Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000, said the journey is likely to temporarily enhance the administration's image as "the most scripted, most disciplined White House in the history of America," but could haunt Bush in the long run.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19943-2003Nov28.html

[radfringe]

1. no banners or backdrops.....

did someone forget to pack them?

[truthisfreedom]

2. of course it put more Americans at risk. he's kidding himself. what he

did was inflame a lot MORE Iraqis...

he didn't speak with or to ordinary Iraqis. instead, he showed fear of all of them, not just the insurgents. he boosted morale for his invading/occupying army, but not for the people he claims he was "protecting." any Iraqis who were previously on the fence have a very good chance of falling off, on the side of the insurgents, because of bush's audacity in this stunt and refusal to even acknowledge their suffering to their faces.

he's really gone and screwed things up for our girls and boys over there. he went and smacked the hornet's nest again, only this time, he held the stick and did it directly. he was there, yet he purposefully ignored an entire people who question whether he cares about them. even if they understand that he did it because of security, they can only interpret that as fear... the message he has sent is this:

JESUS, THIS PLACE IS F*CKED UP! OK YOU GUYS, KEEP SHOOTIN', HANG IN THERE... I'M GETTIN' THE HELL OUTTA HERE!

which is just what a lot of Iraqis would like to do right now. he showed them that not only can he come in with an army and do whatever he wants to their country, fail to kill their oppressive leader and not really care much about that, and then create a situation where they are all constantly in fear for their lives because there is no longer any kind of security at all... but he can also come and go in the dark of night with the security methods of a tiny, invisible flying rodent. he's rubbed their faces in his omnipotence. he's said "you don't matter to me. what matters is to keep my troops fired up so they feel all-powerful, and protect my ability to get elected next year so i can keep up the oppression."

[Malva Zebrina]

4. I think your analysis is right on

makes me wonder just who it is that is driving this monstrosity called a "president"--surely it is not him--he does not have any vision at all-but I would think that someone in his administration, some "aide" would have eneough vision to see the overall implications of the fly by night, Ahmal and the Night Visitors, chickencoward Bush photo op. There must be at least one of them who is serious enough and sober enough to consider that "cheapness" in a president is not exactly an endearing trait--or do you think they are in such ecstacy over all their wins--the recent Medicarae bill for one, that they do believe they can get away with anything--shoddy or cheap-public opinion does not matter anymore when you own the people.

[izzie]

3. I think Bush should go to the troops but it was a photo-op

And one thing that I have heard on news right off. That this may be a photo-op. That is different then the suit thing as they did not start saying that was a photo-op until people began laughting about it.I think people right off see what this is and now the GOP is out trying to make it a brave thing.Brave? He had to creep out of this country and creep into Iraq.

[TexasEditor]

5. "Unprecedented" trip to Iraq?

Found at www.dailykos.com ---

... while the media slavishly covers for maximum White House benefit, they conveniently forget that Clinton visited another war zone on Thanksgiving only four years ago, and he was able to travel into a war zone only five months after the US-arranged coalition secured the liberation of Kosovo. My how quickly they forget. The big difference was that Clinton was warmly received by a large contingent of troops in Kosovo, but more importantly was also warmly received by the natives prior to the event, who thanked him for their liberation.

Bush was unable to visit with the locals today, for obvious security reasons, and instead had to settle for a staged event in front of 600 troops that gave (from the look of the NBC video) a relatively subdued response.

- - -

"This originated out of the president and the policy side," said Rice, who stopped short of saying that political adviser Karl Rove did not know about the trip.

Bush's visit overshadowed a similar one a day later by Senator Hillary Clinton. A source familiar with the planning of her visit said the administration was informed in late September that she would go.

- - - -

So now it looks like the reason Bush went to Iraq might have been because he was afraid he would be shown up by Hillary Clinton. And even then he would only skulk in and out after dark. He's a craven coward.

[PaDUer]

6. Of course..

He's a coward and bully, and disgrace!

[R Hickey]

7. Plucky chickenhawk quacks while stuffing cooked geese.

Free-range clay pigeons eat crow served by half baked turkey.