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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (17996)	11/28/2003 5:37:03 AM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793642

I couldn't agree more Bill, the cynical left will try every one of those angles to see which one gets traction. Here's another stab at it by MSNBC's Laura MacInnis... Bush surprise in Iraq seen as Thanksgiving theater famulus.msnbc.com By Laura MacInnis WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 — The surprise visit by U.S. President George W. Bush to Baghdad on Thursday gave a morale boost to beleaguered troops and provided some Thanksgiving political theater for Americans at home, policy experts said. By spending the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday with soldiers in Iraq, instead of in Texas with his family as was first announced, political scientists said Bush aimed to show the White House was undeterred by mounting U.S. casualties and guerrilla violence that have marred the post-war occupation. ''He must be serious about being willing to stay the course,'' said Byron Shafer, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ''This is sort of symbolic theater to say: 'Yes, I am committed. This is a representation of my personal commitment. How much more committed to do you want me to be? I took my holiday and spent it with the troops in Baghdad,'' he said. The president's bold visit to the battle zone was kept under wraps until after Bush was already on his way back to the United States on the presidential plane, Air Force One. News of the clandestine trip splashed across U.S. network television at mid-day, just after the conclusion of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade broadcast from New York. Thanksgiving is one of the most cherished holidays in the United States, traditionally celebrated with a turkey dinner shared among family and friends who ''give thanks'' for their blessings and good fortune. POLITICAL FODDER? Bush's risky trip could blunt criticism that had been growing of Bush for apparently showing too little concern for U.S. troops in Iraq by failing to attend any funerals of servicemen killed in action. With mounting casualties becoming a potential political liability for a president seeking reelection, Bush visited families of dead soldiers this month ahead of the trip. University of Texas Government Professor Bruce Buchanan said images of Bush's 2-1/2 hour visit in Baghdad would likely be a boon to his popularity at home, which has been dented by Iraq. ''That will play very well on television today, it will be a bounce for him politically in the short-run,'' Buchanan said. ''Surely there will be Democrats who will say that this was a photo-op and campaign related,'' he said. ''(But) the unexpectedness of this, the element of risk associated with it, the surprise factor will generate a positive impact at least in the short run.'' On May 1, Bush landed a jet on aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to declare the end of major combat in Iraq, drawing fire from some critics who later decried the move as a cavalier publicity stunt. Nearly seven months later, Bush's flight into Baghdad was dangerous because of increasingly brazen insurgent attacks. Last month, guerrillas fired a barrage of rockets into a Baghdad hotel where Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was staying. They have downed several U.S. helicopters with ground fire and, this month, they hit a plane over the city with a missile forcing an emergency landing. Analysts said Bush's trip to Iraq should not be considered in the same vein as his aircraft carrier stunt. ''There was a serious element of risk so it's more difficult to trivialize or dismiss as mere showmanship,'' Buchanan said. ''If they can take down a helicopter with a shoulder-fired missile, they could take down Air Force One.'' Shirley Anne Warshaw, a professor of political science at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, said she believed the president's visit to Iraq reflected a new approach by the Bush White House. ''I think it shows that he is willing to stand up and be counted for something that he believes in. He has become personally involved now in this loss of life,'' Warshaw said. ''I don't think you will see this in the campaign literature. I don't think it's a political move.'' (Additional reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky)