President Bush went recently to Camp Pendleton in California to speak to U.S. Marines about the war in Iraq. It seems there's part of that trip to which the mainstream media ony alluded - it's a glimpse of genuine presidential character. Via BlackFive:
Let me tell you something that was, very deliberately, not in the news. President Bush came here for two reasons. To thank the Marines and sailors of Camp Pendleton for all they do, and to meet with the families of our fallen warriors. The first part was public. The second - and I believe far more important - was to meet privately with 170 family members who had lost a loved one. He forbade the press corps from viewing or photographing any of it.Having had the duty of a Casualty Assistance and Notification Officer many times in the past, I know how emotionally draining it is to talk to even one family at a time. When we put the President back on Marine One some three hours later, he was as somber and drained as I've ever seen him. It took an emotional toll on everyone involved.
That may have been a small moment in the grand scheme of things, but it's a huge indicator of what kind of man is leading our country. In fact, Bush does this all the time - he's met with numerous military families and did the same with 9/11 families, up close and personal. To say George W. Bush has isolated himself from the "bad news" in Iraq is perhaps the biggest canard foisted on him by the Left and its pliant allies in the media. Glad I voted for him.
Posted by Alan at December 10, 2004 06:44 AM