Commander In Chiefs Duty
 

There are a number of reasons why President George W. Bush has not attended any of the funerals for members of the American military who have been killed in Iraq.

The presence of the commander in chief would create a media event, and the families may not want that. The president can't possibly attend every service, and by choosing one over another might unwittingly offend someone. There would be security concerns, and there is the practical matter of taking time away from ever-pressing presidential duties.

From a purely political standpoint, the White House obviously has no interest in calling more attention to the human cost of the war in Iraq.

All that said, he ought to go.

It is one thing to visit a military base, as Bush did Monday, or fly to Iraq on Thursday, and encourage the troops and salute the fallen. That is a fine thing for a commander in chief to do. It is quite another to sit quietly with the family of a dead soldier and learn firsthand of their loss, their pride and their grief. That is a difficult but necessary thing for a commander in chief to do, at least on occasion, if only to be reminded of the ultimate burden of the job and the ultimate price of war.

Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have found the time to fly about the country for a combined 60 political fund-raisers since June. Surely they can find some time to express personally the gratitude of the American people to the families of some of the service people who have died in this war.

"Every man and woman who wears our country's uniform is a volunteer, facing hardships and sometimes peril, because they believe in this country and our cause," Bush said Monday in a Thanksgiving message. "We're thinking of them and their families. We think of the military families that have suffered losses." Fine things to be thinking.

But actions would speak louder.


:re:

Bush Asks Americans to Help Military

November 29, 2003 05:02 PM EST


CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush, having surprised the nation with his Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad, asked Americans on Saturday to volunteer to help military personnel and their families.

Ignoring criticism at home and in Iraq, Bush said he felt privileged to have been able to offer the nation's gratitude in person to some of the soldiers deployed in Iraq when he appeared at a Thanksgiving dinner at Baghdad International Airport on Thursday.

"I'm pleased to report back from the front lines that our troops are strong, morale is high and our military is confident we will prevail," the president said in his weekly radio address.

In his radio address, Bush paid respects to "such brave men and women who stand between us and the dangers of the world," acknowledging the difficulties of their families back home and the loss of families who will never again see loved ones lost in the war.

"The courage of our soldiers and their families show the spirit of this country in great adversity," Bush said. "And many citizens are showing their appreciation by helping military families here at home."
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