Responses to the Thanksgiving Trip by Bush

miguel

Senior member
Nov 2, 2001
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NY Times article

"It's nice that he made it over there today, but this visit won't change the fact that those brave men and women should never have been fighting in Iraq in the first place" - Jay Carson, a spokesman for Howard Dean

"the right thing to do for our country." But, he added: "When Thanksgiving is over, I hope the president will take the time to correct his failed policy in Iraq that has placed our soldiers in a shooting gallery." - Senator John Kerry

daring move and great politics," but added: "I think these kids need more. I'm sure they were buoyed by his coming, but they need more." - David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Senator John Edwards

"The trip came at a time of rising criticism of the president for not attending the funerals of the returning war dead. It also came in the same week that Mr. Bush met with families of 26 soldiers killed in Iraq, and thus appeared to be a concerted effort by the White House to deal with a political problem." - New York Times article

"Those guys can do some pretty smart stuff sometimes," - senior adviser to one of the Democrats

"We're not going to throw stones at the guy for trying to do a nice thing for the troops. When the president goes and spends time with the troops, that's a good thing." - Matt Bennett, the communications director for Gen. Wesley K. Clark

declined to comment - Richard A. Gephardt

"In fairness, visiting with the troops is exactly what a commander in chief should do. That said, we hope that he's also reassuring them that the administration will eventually have a plan to win the peace and bring our troops home soon." - Jano Cabrera, a spokesman for Senator Joseph I. Lieberman

and finally...

"They made their bed with that `Mission Accomplished' trip, and that's going to be around for a long time," he said. "That's not the last ad you will see with that. I will guarantee you that whoever the nominee is will have that image up." - Matt Bennett, the communications director for Gen. Wesley K. Clark


 

Gaard

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
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Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: dudleydocker
Let the whining begin....:disgust:

Think of the whining that would have happened if he had not gone to iraq.

I'm thinking 'none'. Afterall, nobody (except a select few) knew.

 

Gaard

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
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Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: Gaard
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: dudleydocker
Let the whining begin....:disgust:

Think of the whining that would have happened if he had not gone to iraq.

I'm thinking 'none'. Afterall, nobody (except a select few) knew.


I would have to disagree.

So you're saying that people would whine because something they did not know was going to happen did not happen?

Or are you disagreeing with the 'except a select few' part?

 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
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www.ShawCAD.com
Originally posted by: Gaard
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: Gaard
Originally posted by: charrison
Think of the whining that would have happened if he had not gone to iraq.

I'm thinking 'none'. Afterall, nobody (except a select few) knew.


I would have to disagree.

So you're saying that people would whine because something they did not know was going to happen did not happen?

Or are you disagreeing with the 'except a select few' part?

IMO, I think he was saying that there would be whining about Bush not meeting with troops and that he never did anything except sit in his comfy Ranch and chow down over the holidays. His actions show that he really does care about the troops over there and it takes away that angle of whining.

CkG
 

Gravity

Diamond Member
Mar 21, 2003
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That's quite a commander in chief we have there. I like him and the trip to Iraq!!!
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
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Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
Originally posted by: Gaard
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: Gaard
Originally posted by: charrison
Think of the whining that would have happened if he had not gone to iraq.

I'm thinking 'none'. Afterall, nobody (except a select few) knew.


I would have to disagree.

So you're saying that people would whine because something they did not know was going to happen did not happen?

Or are you disagreeing with the 'except a select few' part?

IMO, I think he was saying that there would be whining about Bush not meeting with troops and that he never did anything except sit in his comfy Ranch and chow down over the holidays. His actions show that he really does care about the troops over there and it takes away that angle of whining.

CkG


That is what was meant.
 

Bowfinger

Lifer
Nov 17, 2002
15,776
392
126
Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
IMO, I think he was saying that there would be whining about Bush not meeting with troops and that he never did anything except sit in his comfy Ranch and chow down over the holidays. His actions show that he really does care about the troops over there and it takes away that angle of whining.

CkG
I agree. Bush-lite would have been criticized if he hadn't done something like this trip. That criticism would have been justified. Bush did go, however, so the issue is moot.

I'm not convinced he did this out of concern for the troops. It is easy to speculate that this was a carefully crafted political move, designed to prevent such criticism and offer great sound bites for the 2004 election, much like his fly-boy stunt. Nonetheless, it was the right thing to do and Bush deserves kudos for it. I'm sure it meant a lot to our troops. Good for Bush.

 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
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Well yes, it was a nice gesture, but it was not enough to just forgive him for the whole fiasco. Was it politically motivated? Of course, what politician is not politically motivated especially with an election looming? So, kudos and criticism are both warranted and will be par for the course.
 

rchiu

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2002
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yeah, Bush visited Iraq and Hillary visited Afghanistan. By this Christmas, everyone with any kind of political aspiration is gonna run to those places to show how much love they have for the troops.
 

LilBlinbBlahIce

Golden Member
Dec 31, 2001
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Originally posted by: sandorski
Well yes, it was a nice gesture, but it was not enough to just forgive him for the whole fiasco. Was it politically motivated? Of course, what politician is not politically motivated especially with an election looming? So, kudos and criticism are both warranted and will be par for the course.
Agreed.
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
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He is the first president to ever do that. He kept his own family and some of the secret service in the dark just so they would not give him flack about it. I think it came more from the heart then some political agenda. But then of course, they would not explain the select few of reporters that accompanied him. Yet I doubt it was Bush Jr that said, "Oh lets take some reporters and risk their lives just for the publicity".

Yes, It's not a reason to forgive him for not proving they had WMD's for justifying his war. But it does show he is willing to support the people of Iraq and troops unlike his ass of a father who let them get slaughtered after pulling out early.
 

zzzz

Diamond Member
Sep 1, 2000
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Originally posted by: Regs
He is the first president to ever do that.

From cnn

1952: Dwight David Eisenhower, then president-elect, visited Korea.
? 1966 and 1967: President Lyndon Johnson made two wartime trips to troops in Vietnam.
? 1969: President Richard Nixon visited troops in Vietnam.
? 1990: President George H.W. Bush visited U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day in the run-up to the Gulf War.
? 1999: President Bill Clinton addressed Kosovar refugees and NATO military personnel in Macedonia, two weeks after NATO airstrikes in Kosovo.
? 2003: President Bush pays a Thanksgiving Day visit to U.S. troops in Baghdad.

Source: The Associated Press
 

zzzz

Diamond Member
Sep 1, 2000
5,498
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Originally posted by: Regs
He is the first president to ever do that.

From cnn

1952: Dwight David Eisenhower, then president-elect, visited Korea.
? 1966 and 1967: President Lyndon Johnson made two wartime trips to troops in Vietnam.
? 1969: President Richard Nixon visited troops in Vietnam.
? 1990: President George H.W. Bush visited U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day in the run-up to the Gulf War.
? 1999: President Bill Clinton addressed Kosovar refugees and NATO military personnel in Macedonia, two weeks after NATO airstrikes in Kosovo.
? 2003: President Bush pays a Thanksgiving Day visit to U.S. troops in Baghdad.

Source: The Associated Press
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,085
5,618
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Originally posted by: Regs
He is the first president to ever do that. He kept his own family and some of the secret service in the dark just so they would not give him flack about it. I think it came more from the heart then some political agenda. But then of course, they would not explain the select few of reporters that accompanied him. Yet I doubt it was Bush Jr that said, "Oh lets take some reporters and risk their lives just for the publicity".

Yes, It's not a reason to forgive him for not proving they had WMD's for justifying his war. But it does show he is willing to support the people of Iraq and troops unlike his ass of a father who let them get slaughtered after pulling out early.

You have to go easy on Bush Sr. He had an opportunity to pullout early in life, but failed to do so. He's a little sensitive about it. ;)
 

miguel

Senior member
Nov 2, 2001
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Originally posted by: zzzz
Originally posted by: Regs
He is the first president to ever do that.

From cnn

1952: Dwight David Eisenhower, then president-elect, visited Korea.
? 1966 and 1967: President Lyndon Johnson made two wartime trips to troops in Vietnam.
? 1969: President Richard Nixon visited troops in Vietnam.
? 1990: President George H.W. Bush visited U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day in the run-up to the Gulf War.
? 1999: President Bill Clinton addressed Kosovar refugees and NATO military personnel in Macedonia, two weeks after NATO airstrikes in Kosovo.
? 2003: President Bush pays a Thanksgiving Day visit to U.S. troops in Baghdad.

Source: The Associated Press

I'm pretty sure he mean the first to do the covert move.
 

NesuD

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,999
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Originally posted by: Regs
He is the first president to ever do that. He kept his own family and some of the secret service in the dark just so they would not give him flack about it. I think it came more from the heart then some political agenda. But then of course, they would not explain the select few of reporters that accompanied him. Yet I doubt it was Bush Jr that said, "Oh lets take some reporters and risk their lives just for the publicity".

Yes, It's not a reason to forgive him for not proving they had WMD's for justifying his war. But it does show he is willing to support the people of Iraq and troops unlike his ass of a father who let them get slaughtered after pulling out early.


You don't really remember why senior stopped the first gulf war when he did do you. He was following the mandates of the UN in that instance which only authorized pushing the Iraqis out of Kuwait. Conquering all of Iraq and taking Saddam down was not permitted under the Un resolution that authorized the first Gulf war. Bush seniors error was allowing the UN to dictate policy to him. GW is not making that mistake. As far as I am concerned WMDs or not it is simply taking care of unfinished business as the UN should have done in the first go around.
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
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No he's not the first to do the covert move, Johnson did it when he went to Saigon as well.
 

smashp

Platinum Member
Aug 30, 2003
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Love Dubya or Hate him, This took big Brass Balls. I think the move was political, yet honest at the same time. The Trip did give him some political points.

But it also was a MAJOR morale booster for the troops in Iraq.

To the Troops on the Ground, They see it as the President Sacrificing his thanksgiving to see them. It means alot to them.


Im just Glas GWB is finally revognizing the Sacrifices of the soldiers.
 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
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Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1
"We cannot consider Bush's arrival at Baghdad International Airport yesterday as a visit to Iraq," said Mahmoud Othman, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council.

"He did not meet with ordinary Iraqis. Bush was only trying to boost the morale of his troops."

Reaction on Hillary Clinton's visit to Iraq just now.

"I have heard some wonderful stories about the kind of work that captains and majors are doing out there helping people... I think that this is a story that needs to get out," - Hillary Clinton.

But, I thought that the stories were getting out and that is was just the fact we are in a quagmire that there weren't more "good" stories"
rolleye.gif


CkG
 

Wolfdog

Member
Aug 25, 2001
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I see it as pure political bs, intended to help his image in the 2004 election. Never mind that when he left iraq, he went straight for his ranch again. Instead of feeling sorry about the deaths in iraq, he should have though about it before he commited the troops over there. I still have to ask where are the weapons of mass destruction??