Call me cynical (and I know some will) but to tell the truth I’m actually quite surprised he had the balls to do something like this.

Mind you not everybody was happy as he might have wanted

“To hell with Bush. He is another Mongol in a line of invaders who have destroyed Iraq,”

Said one man on the street, followed by

“Look at what we have to go through. Our living conditions have become deplorable.”

Given the circumstances I’m surprised that any Iraqi person even knew he was there before he had gone. In any event I’m sure the photo op’s were well planned, well organized, and well scripted. Prepare for a barrage of images of G.W.B. with smiling and happy Iraqi people during the upcoming months. It will be interesting to see if any of the press group traveling with resident Bush were allowed to talk to soldiers on the ground in Iraq…..

Sick of Bush points us toward an article in the Rocky Mountain News with some very interesting rules the press had to follow during a pep rally/photo op with Fort Carson troops:

No talking to the troops before the rally. No talking to the troops during the rally. No talking to the troops after the rally.

One does have to wonder why… maybe a passing Republican and/or Bush supporter wouldn’t mind commenting on why he would want to gag his troops in this way.