Bush PR trip backfiring?

[dkf]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Bush.html

Although the trip was over, the airwaves remained full of talk about the Baghdad visit.

Some carped that it appeared a political stunt meant to produce striking images and public sympathy for a president under fire about his Iraq policies.

Others said the very riskiness of the journey that required extraordinary security only underscored why Bush is under scrutiny for his Iraq strategy, which has failed to prevent a rising death roll to Americans serving there.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, some Iraqis complained Bush didn't take the opportunity to see firsthand how dire their situation is and were offended he would use their country as a stage for what some saw as an electoral gambit.

White House advisers denied any political motive for the trip. They signaled they were not worried that the public would buy criticism of a president who braved personal risk to himself to visit lonely U.S. troops.

-gee not much rah rah in the article. fascinating.

[wryter2000]

1. That is interesting

I wondered if this reflects disillusionment among the media with him. Would be nice if he stopped getting a free ride.

[joeybee12]

3. It's typical of the Repukes strategy--two great days of coverage, and then

the scrutiny comes in, and the trip won't hold up.

[barbaraann]

6. It never feels good to be left out of something.

Any reporter who didn't get taken along must feel like a kid who doesn't get asked to the prom. :(

[Jester_11218]

2. Did you see how the papers around the world responed?

Read this...boy do we look like a bunch of ignorant jerks in this country.

Bush's Iraq visit a pre-election PR stunt: analysis
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s999853.htm

[Military Brat]

4. They're lonely for protective gear, is what they're lonely for

What a bunch of BS. Now, if * looked as good as Hillary, then we could believe that would relieve a bit of their loneliness of being away from home, to spend some time with a genuine, All-American, fearless, intelligent woman.

[rumguy]

5. A Creepy Joke

I can just imagine soldiers over there JOKING about it in a few weeks - the gall to come in for a phote-op, while people are dying. Iraqis have to wonder too...the only way this president can go to Iraq is to sneak in for a few hrs....this was supposed to be a "cakewalk" remember?

Watching the video of his trip it was CREEPY the way Bush picked up that Turkey for a few seconds smiling at the troops, and then set it back down...it was disturbing they way he just zeroed in on that photo op, hell they probably had it planned out...

[havocmom]

7. Americans get letters from personell in Iraq begging for food, water and

baby wipes. Should our troops be begging for food and fluid? How much $$ did this latest PR stunt cost and what else could that money have been spent on? That's what America wants to know. Rove underestimated the collective IQ.

He can keep a lid on media (thought he may have overplayed his hand this time) but he has a problem with letters home from the troops. They cut down on the phone calls via the method of pricing them above what the troops can afford, but stopping the mail would likely be going too far.

[DBoon]

12. Censoring the mail?

Is this a possibility? Could this be done legally?

[oasis]

8. Susan Estrich on Fox claims Democrats are carping about the visit.

She doesn't say which Democrats although she's suppose to be a party insider.

She's nothing but a traitor who's fueling the GOP charge that the Bush-haters will criticize "the president" even when he does something good for our troops.

edited for spelling.

[barbaraann]

9. Oh, god, I shouldn't say this, but I think the BFEE converted her

the same way they converted Candy Crowley.

[oasis]

11. They are all feeding at the Fox pig trough.

[asjr]

20. crowley

Well, Candy is easily convertible. There may not be much left to cover the top but there is enough for the body. (Oh, I am MEAN.)

[PROGRESSIVE1]

10. We should tell "MWO" to add this....

"bitch" to the A-List Roster!

:puke: :puke:

[oasis]

13. She is deliberately misrepresenting Democrats and their message.

Terry McCaullife should speak out on her and others like her.

[CatWoman]

15. anyone have her email addy?

[oasis]

22. Fox new's has a profile of Estrich but no addreess. She's a USC professor

of law and political science.

[Homer12]

14. Another Point...

Bushco's secrecy planning the trip and keeping all but the inner circle have knowlege, justs points out the length's that this administration will go to keep all that they do as secret as possible.

The whitehouse press core don't like being played the fool, they got sucker punched by Rove.

[RedSock]

16. ahmad chalabi knew * was coming!!!

http://uggabugga.blogspot.com/2003_11_23_uggabugga_archive.html#107001231663168551

"We were surprised to find this in the Yahoo slideshow about Bush's Baghdad visit:

"Iraqi Governing Counsel member Ahmad Chalabi sits in the audience as he awaits the arrival of President Bush (news - web sites) at Baghdad International Airport Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq (news - web sites). Bush paid a surprise Thanksgiving day visit to American troops in Baghdad. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)"



It's a minor point, but did Chalabi know more about the visit than even some Secret Service agents?

another photo here:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?g=events/iraq/082701iraqplane&a=&tmpl=sl&ns=&l=1&e=92&a=

[NashVegas]

17. He's Not The Only One

Didn't you notice how many of the "surprised troops" conveniently had cameras with them and were snapping photos, in the news footage?

[RedSock]

19. surprise guest

from an interview i saw, one soldier said they were expecting a surprise guest but had no idea who it would be. he thought maybe shania twain or nicholas cage.

i think that's why they had cameras. they knew someone was coming but not that it was awol.

[NashVegas]

21. Ah

k, thanks.

Shania? Canadian troops are still there?

[GOPFighter]

18. If it was any other President...

...I would have said it was a nice gesture for the President to spend Thanksgiving with the troops, but by now we know this President well enough to suspect his only interest in this was to get his ass in safely, get his photo taken with the troops for the 2004 campaign, and get his ass back out without getting it shot off.

sigh.

:eyes:

[DemBones DemBones]

23. A caller on C-SPAN said she was outraged that

Bush's life was put in danger for political gain, since the death of the resident would be bad for the country. She seemed not to be a Bush supporter but rather was saying that he and his people have a reponsibility to keep him alive while he's in office.

It's very weird, if you ask me, that they were demanding extra security for him in London and then he "sneaks" off to Baghdad. They actually took him to the airport in a regular vehicle and he said it was the first time in three years he'd been in traffic, so he was in danger before he left D.C. In London they refused to have him taken by limo from airport to palace, insisted on copters (which tore up the palace gardens), and wanted new bulletproof windows in every part of the palace where he'd be.