Will Bush Visit The Wounded?

[dreissig]

Of all the craven things that the Bush administration has done, it's Bush's refusal to visit the wounded that most annoys me. Some of these guys are really in bad shape, and the worst feeling is that nobody cares. If Bush were to stop by in person to thank just a few of these guys, it would improve their morale tremendously.

Don't tell me that Bush is too busy. It takes only a few minutes out of his day, and he doesn't have to do it more than a couple of times a year. Just to show America's veterans that the Commander-in-Chief cares about them.

Why is that too much to ask? He's the one who sent them into battle in the first place. it wouldn't kill him to show a little gratitude.

[muchacho]

1. wounded troops

Haven't they suffered enough?

[poskonig]

2. What if Bush did visit the troops?

Then people would accuse him of pandering and exploiting the troops for propaganda purposes.

Bush's deficient judgment annoys me, not little ticky-tack stuff like this.

[youngred]

15. this is hardly ticky tack stuff

He sent these men and women to be maimed and killed for his own political and economic purposes. The LEAST he could do is show up and feign interest or sorrow a little. As for propaganda. Which is worse "Bring em on" and not visiting the wounded? Declaring victory in a flightsuit after landing on an aircraft carrier or not attending a single funeral for a soldier who died figthing his war.

His judgement is worse, but this stuff means a LOT, its not "ticky tacky"

[gulliver]

3. Maybe carefully selected wounded...

There is no way they would let Bush walk into a room with a young former football star whose hands are missing. He might ask the questions Bush doesn't want anyone to hear.

Now, will Bush walk into a room full of lightly wounded and/or handpicked Bush admirers and then cry for the camera afterward? Maybe. Deeply cynical, but there is no extreme Bushists will not go to to manage the message.

[OneBlueSky]

4. or how about attending a funeral? . . .

or just meeting with the families of fallen soldiers to provide a little comfort? . . . and to tell them that their loved ones' sacrifices had some meaning? . . .

oh, wait . . . they don't have any meaning . . . guess that's why he stays away . . .

[nostamj]

5. or, how about a SINGLE hug

that he told us was his RESPONSIBILITY.

sub-human scum.

[beanball]

10. A visit from the devil

Satan's son is too busy collecting$$$$$$$for his reselection in 2004.

[BloodyWilliam]

6. He won't visit dead ones

Why would he visit wounded ones for even less potential for a photo op?

[Misinformed01]

7. He can't show a little gratitude; you can't give

what you don't have.

[VolcanoJen]

8. Let's be fair. Bush visited wounded troops at Walter Reed on 9/11/03.

I'm not trying to absolve Bush of his many crimes here, but in the interest of truth, he has on a few occassions visited the wounded.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2003/n09122003_200309125.html

He presented a few Purple Hearts during the above visit, on 9/11/03. I do recall that the visit was covered by the major cable news outlets, and I was actually a little surprised that they showed such gravely injured soldiers.

He and Laura also visited soldiers wounded in Afghanistan at Walter Reed Hospital in January of this year (photo included in the link):

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2003/n09122003_200309125.html

and again visited and presented more Purple Hearts to soldiers wounded during the Iraq invasion, at Walter Reed in April of this year (photo included in the link):

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/04/11/sprj.irq.bush.troops/

I don't think we'll see a U.S. President attending a military funeral anytime soon, although I think it's a perfect job for the First Lady, and it would be nice to see that happen.

I'm not holding my breath, of course...

[gulliver]

18. Sorry, but with Bush you have to wonder...

... were the soldiers he visited hand-picked for their attitude toward Bush? Was this a one-time token effort complete with photo-op or is this something he does regularly? Did he visit any soldiers whose bodies are completely maimed or only those with a good prognosis?

It's cynical beyond words, but so is Bush. He would have to do more than "drop in" with his wife holding his hand to convince me this was anything but media fodder.

If there is going to be media present (and who says there needs to be anyway?), then we should have footage, not stills. In the CNN link you show above, we see Bush the Brave smiling and reaching out to the left hand of the wounded soldier. You can almost hear the cameraman saying, "Let's get a picture Mr. President." Maybe the photo was even taken by the White House photographer?

Sorry, but I like verity, and that's not what I am seeing.

[Padraig18]

9. He *has* visited the wounded.

I have a good friend who was severly wounded in Iraq, and he showed me the pics of * and Pickles at his bedside at Walter Reed pinning his Silver Star and Purple Heart to his sling.

Let's stick to the facts about *--- they're bad enough.

[Padraig18]

11. Kick

[VolcanoJen]

12. See post #8, Padraig18.

I agree... we've got enough to take down Bush as it is, without contributing to the wealth of disinformation concerning Iraq.

[Padraig18]

13. Yep!

:hi:

[youngred]

14. He refuses to visit the Dead let alone the wounded

He has not been to ONE memorial service for ANY member of the armed services who have died in Iraq.

This was the man who ran on making life better for the troops.

[proud patriot]

16. I doubt he'll do it very often

Becuase the News covering the wounded will remind
everyone about the wounded . If the WH orders a curtain
on the media honoring the returning Dead and wounded
Why in the heck would he want to bring unwanted attention
to the wounded . He will only visit often enough
to Cover his ass politically .

[brainshrub]

17. Similar thread:

From earlier

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=629029

[VolcanoJen]

19. Thanks for that link, brainshrub.

That's a good discussion; I hadn't seen it yet.

Thanks!