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08/08/2005: Being Presidential
An interesting observation from Bryan at Why Now?:
It would appear that the normally docile New York Post thinks that the Shrubbery should visit Brook Park, Ohio, the home of the Marine Reserve unit that has taken so many casualties lately in Iraq, and doesn't understand why he is going to West Texas to cut brush rather than visiting the families of the Marines.I know who I think has been the better President. Blowjobs in the Oval Office notwithstanding.
Contrast:
The June 1998 issue of the Air Force Association has a lengthy article on the Khobar Tower bombing. On the 25th of June, 1996 a truck bomb with the explosive power of 10 tons of TNT went off near a building housing US military personnel causing 19 deaths.
Although the local commander was cleared of any negligence, the Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, felt that someone had to be held accountable and blocked the pending promotion of the officer. The Wing Commander resigned, as did the Air Force Chief of Staff. They were responsible because they were in command and it happened on their watch, not because they had done anything wrong.
Twelve local airmen died. They were members of the 58th Fighter Squadron of the 33rd Fighter Wing of Eglin Air Force Base.
Most of America isn't aware of it, but at the memorial service for those who died was their Commander in Chief, William Jefferson Clinton. If you aren't from this area you aren't aware of this because he didn't bring any reporters with him and didn't answer questions from the local press. He was paying his respects to the friends and families of those who had died.
It was 1996 and he was running for re-election, but he didn't use a memorial as a photo opportunity.
Len on 08.08.05 @ 01:04 PM CST
