Doing The Right Thing Is Often The Shrewdest Political Move

Doing the right thing is often the shrewdest political move. President Bush got an uproarious welcome from 600 surprised soldiers assembled for Thanksgiving dinner in the mess tent at Baghdad International Airport. "For two hours, the president walked among us, not a receiving line where we came to him, stiff and formal, but coming to us, reading our name tags on our uniforms and greeting us by name," a soldier who was there said in an email to Andrew Sullivan. "He looked me in the eye when he shook my hand, he joked with some, whispered to others, spoke a little Spanish to my friend. Two hours of almost non-stop motion, how exhausting after a 12-hour flight. He did it to be with us, and we appreciate it." Soldiers who didn't get to see the president also were appreciative. Reuters correspondent Dean Yates interviewed Sgts. Aaron Hildernbrandt and Gilbert Nail in Tikrit. "I think that shows real personal courage," said Nail. "It's a total morale booster." "That is absolutely awesome," said Hildernbrandt. "This is definitely a good move for morale," said Pvt. Michael Debratta at a checkpoint in downtown Baghdad. "It makes us feel better that our leader was actually here on a holiday." CPT Roger Mayrulet said the president's visit was even more of a boost to Iraqi morale. "I had Iraqis wishing me 'Happy Thanksgiving' all day today," Mayrulet said in an email to National Review Online. "They only learned of the holiday by finding out the reason why Bush came to visit us." "I went to a nearby restaurant to buy dinner and IMN was displaying Bush's speech to his troops," recounted Zeyad, an Iraqi web logger. "Everyone stopped eating and stared at the tv...I'm still shocked to this moment that he took the risk to come here. I used to like him before, but now I admire the guy." Admiration is too mild a word to describe the response of Alaa, a middle aged Iraqi engineer who writes the web log "The Mesopotamian:" "We know that you have come, not as the president of an invading nation, but as a friend who wishes to renew a commitment to our people...It gives us pain that the visit is so short and that the masses cannot in the present circumstances come out and give you the welcome you deserve, but the day will come when the millions will come out to welcome the best friend that the Mesopotamian people have ever had, and we will be among the most devoted and allied people that America will ever have. "The bones in the mass graves salute you, Avenger of the Bones. Hail, friend and ally. Hail, Sheikh of Sheikhs." "I am very proud for the great, great visit of Mr. President to Iraq," said a woman from Mosul in an email to NRO. "The reaction from Iraqi people is very very great. They feel it is good support and insure American are going to stay until the job is done." There was carping from the usual suspects. European and Arab newspapers and some Democratic party spokesmen described the trip as a publicity stunt. The French newspaper Liberation implied it had been done to draw attention away from Sen. Hillary Clinton's trip to Afghanistan and Iraq. I would not have wanted to be within lamp-hurling range of Hillary when she received word of the President's trip. The contrast between the riotous reception he got and the tepid welcome she received is not the sort of thing Democrats would want to put in a campaign highlight reel. At Thanksgiving dinner in Afghanistan, the soldiers were more interested in the turkey than in their distinguished visitor, according to Geraldo Rivera of Fox News. The response at lunch the next day in Baghdad was more restrained still: "(Hillary) seemed disappointed at the cool reception she got at the CPA mess hall for lunch," said the web logger "John Galt," who was there. Most just stared silently. A few left." The carping about Bush's trip diminishes Bush's critics, not the president. Democrats talk about leadership. Bush provides it. American soldiers - and most Iraqis - know the difference.

Into the Mystic. I like your nickname.

Here is the same article re-formated with paragraphs for a bit easier read. Great find and thanks for posting it.

Doing the right thing is often the shrewdest political move

"For two hours, the president walked among us, not a receiving line where we came to him, stiff and formal, but coming to us, reading our name tags on our uniforms and greeting us by name," a soldier who was there said in an email to Andrew Sullivan.

"He looked me in the eye when he shook my hand, he joked with some, whispered to others, spoke a little Spanish to my friend. Two hours of almost non-stop motion, how exhausting after a 12-hour flight. He did it to be with us, and we appreciate it."

Soldiers who didn't get to see the president also were appreciative. Reuters correspondent Dean Yates interviewed Sgts. Aaron Hildernbrandt and Gilbert Nail in Tikrit.

"I think that shows real personal courage," said Nail. "It's a total morale booster."

"That is absolutely awesome," said Hildernbrandt.

"This is definitely a good move for morale," said Pvt. Michael Debratta at a checkpoint in downtown Baghdad. "It makes us feel better that our leader was actually here on a holiday."

CPT Roger Mayrulet said the president's visit was even more of a boost to Iraqi morale.

"I had Iraqis wishing me 'Happy Thanksgiving' all day today," Mayrulet said in an email to National Review Online. "They only learned of the holiday by finding out the reason why Bush came to visit us."

"I went to a nearby restaurant to buy dinner and IMN was displaying Bush's speech to his troops," recounted Zeyad, an Iraqi web logger. "Everyone stopped eating and stared at the tv...I'm still shocked to this moment that he took the risk to come here. I used to like him before, but now I admire the guy."

Admiration is too mild a word to describe the response of Alaa, a middle aged Iraqi engineer who writes the web log "The Mesopotamian:"

"We know that you have come, not as the president of an invading nation, but as a friend who wishes to renew a commitment to our people...It gives us pain that the visit is so short and that the masses cannot in the present circumstances come out and give you the welcome you deserve, but the day will come when the millions will come out to welcome the best friend that the Mesopotamian people have ever had, and we will be among the most devoted and allied people that America will ever have.

"The bones in the mass graves salute you, Avenger of the Bones. Hail, friend and ally. Hail, Sheikh of Sheikhs."

"I am very proud for the great, great visit of Mr. President to Iraq," said a woman from Mosul in an email to NRO. "The reaction from Iraqi people is very very great. They feel it is good support and insure American are going to stay until the job is done."

There was carping from the usual suspects. European and Arab newspapers and some Democratic party spokesmen described the trip as a publicity stunt. The French newspaper Liberation implied it had been done to draw attention away from Sen. Hillary Clinton's trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.

I would not have wanted to be within lamp-hurling range of Hillary when she received word of the President's trip. The contrast between the riotous reception he got and the tepid welcome she received is not the sort of thing Democrats would want to put in a campaign highlight reel.

At Thanksgiving dinner in Afghanistan, the soldiers were more interested in the turkey than in their distinguished visitor, according to Geraldo Rivera of Fox News. The response at lunch the next day in Baghdad was more restrained still:

"(Hillary) seemed disappointed at the cool reception she got at the CPA mess hall for lunch," said the web logger "John Galt," who was there. Most just stared silently. A few left."

The carping about Bush's trip diminishes Bush's critics, not the president. Democrats talk about leadership. Bush provides it. American soldiers - and most Iraqis - know the difference.

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