And the hits just keep on coming..

[docwebster]

(Most of this copied from duluoz)

Bush visits Army base with heavy casualties in Iraq

Now normally, this would indeed be a good thing. Except..:

For months, Bush's aides have worked to minimize images that will remind Americans of the human toll of the war, putting tight restrictions on news coverage of casualties and confining the president to largely upbeat settings.

In what his aides call an effort to keep the nation focused on the big picture of the war on terrorism, the president has not attended any of the funerals of the 431 U.S. service members who have died since the invasion of Iraq. Bush's critics point out that 40 of those funerals were at Arlington National Cemetery, just four miles from the White House.

Then there's this:

Harriet Johnson of Cordova, S.C. -- whose son, Spec.. Darius T. Jennings, 22, was among the Chinook victims -- told reporters after a memorial service at Fort Carson last week that Bush should have called or visited when he was recently in South Carolina for a fundraiser and to promote his tax cuts as engines of job growth.

"Something should have been said," said Johnson, who has been visited by the Rev. Al Sharpton (ed note: Oo, there's something to tell the grandchildren about.. not) and retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark, both Democratic presidential candidates. "Evidently my son wasn't important enough."

I no longer think the man is stupid. But after my post of a couple days ago, I think I have legitimate reason to wonder just how far up his ass his head is.

Comments

[rsmit212.livejournal.com]

As for not going to the funerals...
He chooses to not turn a family's grief into a photo op and he's the bad guy?

I do agree he should call or send a personal note though.

[docwebster.livejournal.com]

Then fine. Ban the press or make them stay x amount of feet away, if that's your worry. But the man isn't even trying. One token visit to a base overseas, and in the middle of the flap over veteran's benefits? Extremely bad idea, at bare minimum.