Sorry.

Well, not really.

Bush ‘envious’ of troops’ ‘romantic’ work in Afghanistan
Posted March 14th, 2008 at 11:08 am


http://tinyurl.com/2vlgw9


From the Carpetblogger:

I really wish the president wouldn’t say things like this.

In a videoconference, Bush heard from U.S. military and civilian
personnel [in Afghanistan] about the challenges ranging from fighting
local government and police corruption to persuading farmers to abandon
a lucrative poppy drug trade for other crops. […]

“I must say, I’m a little envious,” Bush said. “If I were slightly
younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic
experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy
succeed.”

“It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways,
you know, confronting danger. You’re really making history, and thanks,”
Bush said.

Bush periodically talks about how much he wishes he could put on a
military uniform and fight in one (or both) of the wars he began. The
last time was in September, when the president told a group of
conservative milbloggers that he envies U.S. troops in Iraq, and said
he’d like to be serving alongside them. He can’t, he said, because,
“One, I’m too old to be out there, and two, they would notice me.”

It’s likely that Bush thinks these kinds of remarks are good for troop
morale. If the commander in chief wishes he could fight on the front
lines personally, they must be part of a worthwhile mission.

But seeing these remarks, more than once, simply reminds me that when
Bush had a chance to serve, he chose not to do his duty.

James Joyner noted:

My immediate, cynical reaction was that this it is an easy thing to
say, if not insulting to those enduring great hardship and danger.
Certainly, it’s an impolitic thing to say, since it will immediately
raise questions about his actions when he was young and free to go off
to war. Some of the soldiers and Marines — and probably all of the
civilians — likely had the same reaction.

Now, Joyner went on to more or less reject this cynicism, but I’m afraid
I have a less forgiving attitude.

Bush can talk now about the “romantic” work of serving multiple tours
and fighting on the front lines of years-long wars. If only he were
younger and unemployed.

But he was younger and unemployed, there was a war underway that he said
he believed in, and he chose to pull strings, take advantage of family
connections, and then neglect to even complete his obligations to the
National Guard.

Far more offensively, he’s badly mismanaged two wars as president, and
over-stretched our fighting forces to the breaking point.

Maybe this is a subject Bush could just avoid? Please?