[Prodigal Son]

It isn't just the President's life that would have been in danger if the trip had been announced. It would have been the troops on the ground trying to eat their Thanksgiving dinner. I think it is obvious it would've been a disaster. The jihadis would have had an enormous incentive to attack with great numbers all gatherings of troops everywhere in Iraq in the hopes of killing the President.

[mrustow]

It isn't just the President's life that would have been in danger if the trip had been announced. It would have been the troops on the ground trying to eat their Thanksgiving dinner. I think it is obvious it would've been a disaster. The jihadis would have had an enormous incentive to attack with great numbers all gatherings of troops everywhere in Iraq in the hopes of killing the President.

Which would have led to the Times and Corporal Clark pointing out how the bloodshed was all the fruits of a tainted policy, and demanding that we immediately hand the country over to "the people" (read: Saddam), and get out.