Bush has never been to a single military funeral??

[Kieran]

Miko, what can I tell you? I'm a failed, pitiful human being that threw a silly comment back at someone who made a silly comment. Color me guilty. I didn't expect it would cause a federal case, but the way lawsuits work anymore, how can you ever know for sure? Since I really have no beef with you over it, I'm just going to nod my head and agree with anything further you have to say on it, 'cause quite honestly I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill... or a worm mound... something like that...

[Kieran]

What do you do if you're president?

Do you show up for the photo op where the parents of the soldier slap you in the face for losing their son/daughter, or;

Do you show up for the photo op where the parents hug you and thank you for doing what you are doing, because their son/daughter was proud to serve and die for their country?

Which case would make you angrier? It's a no-win, because in the former case political enemies will use it for fuel to help their "War for Oil" diatribes, in the latter political enemies will suggest it is fake or staged. Don't pretend for a second it wouldn't happen.

Such a question as the thread opener suggests it's a simple matter to attend funerals of fallen soldiers, that there are not people ready to make an adversarial statement about it one way or another. Now personally in these situations I say, "Screw 'em, do what is right", but what is right? Attend a funeral for someone you don't know and act as though you really cared about them, or don't and be perceived as uncaring?

Now if someone is buried in a national cemetary such as Arlington, yes by all means the president should be there. If on the other hand it isn't such a ceremony, I'd leave it to the president's descretion as to whether or not he should attend.

[kappa]

How about just 3 mins in last nights speech about our fallen military personnel..??

To me you dont have to goto the actual grave.. A part of the SotU speech last night dedicated to the more than 500 dead and more than 6000?? wounded would have been great!!

why not talk about the realities of war since war is the state of our union.......

[miko2d]

Kieran: What do you do if you're president?
 Do you show up for the photo op where the parents of the soldier slap you in the face for losing their son/daughter, or;
 Do you show up for the photo op where the parents hug you and thank you for doing what you are doing, because their son/daughter was proud to serve and die for their country?

 I would send a representative to a family beforehand  to politely inquire if they would mind my presence there and whether they will make an unsightly scene.

 I would probably select a family that wrote in the letters to its son/daughter (which was read by military censor) something along the lines of "Be brave, my child. If you die, know that we are all proud and will consider your sacrifice necassary."

Now if someone is buried in a national cemetary such as Arlington, yes by all means the president should be there. If on the other hand it isn't such a ceremony, I'd leave it to the president's descretion as to whether or not he should attend.

 Do you mean that none of the ~500 of our troops who've died in Iraq opted to be buried at Arlington? I find that hard to believe. That would be a very significant indication of our military's spirit if that was true.

 miko

[Kieran]

Either way you are politicizing the death of a soldier. Either way you go you'll be criticized for politicizing the death.

"Do you mean that none of the ~500 of our troops who've died in Iraq opted to be buried at Arlington? I find that hard to believe. That would be a very significant indication of our military's spirit if that was true. "

I never suggested or said any such thing.

[Nakhui]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
What ever source you're qouting QUIT cause their ducks are NOT in a row!

Hadji... me thinks, you're turbon is wrapped too tight.

Pssst... look at the quote... I was poking fun!

[miko2d]

Kieran: I never suggested or said any such thing.

 Exactly. So we both believe that some soldiers were buried at Arlington and according to your statement "if someone is buried in a national cemetary such as Arlington, yes by all means the president should be there".

 Should be but he was not - not yet in any case.
 He missed the best time to show up at the funerals right after the war was won, when there was quick victory, no WMD controvercy and he could have been guaranteed no ill political effects.

 Now there are funerals of the soldiers that have died "waging peace" and looking for non-existing WMDs. It will be harder and harder for him to visit one without a lot of negative spin.

 miko

[Kieran]

It's just a non-starter to me, I guess.

[strk]

is a valid if redundant observation. But then you completely ignored a point about Bush and instead made an unwarranted accusation about strk's character - "this is nothing more than a political jab. He's no more concerned about those servicemen".

I have worn my country's uniform, during wartime.  I know what it is like to be in the service and I care about those people.  But that is beside the point.  Bush doesnt care.  He used the military when he had to avoid being sent into combat.  

How many of you here would waste a slot as a fighter pilot and go awol for a year to work on some knucklehead's election campaign?  Not me.  I would fly every hour I could.  

Lets not forget that he never flew again.  He didnt want to be a pilot, he just used the golden opportunity when it was handed to him.  

strk, do you have any original thoughts? You seem to have hopped onto the liberal bandwagon

 - slimm50

Yeah I do,  I posted about half a page of them above.  Did you read that?  I didnt notice any "original" thought from you - just quotes from others.  So I could ask you the same question - any original thoughts?  It appears as though you have swallowed the RigtWinger(TM) propaganda hook line and sinker . . .