As a former Marine, it was wonderful to have anyone visit us, it happened so infrequently, in fact, only twice that I remember in 4 years.
Good point about "bragging rights". You were able to verbalize what I had be uneasy about it. He's "made friends" with Toby Keith too. You wonder if it's not to spite Hannity. Liberals love to look down on country music with remarks like "one tooth, red neck, trailer park, dopuble wide" etc.
His comedy routine on the USO tour wasn't "apolitocal". In some ways, he was "preaching the liberal gospel" to the troops engaged in combat. And what he preached couldn't in anyway be viewed as good for morale. You can't find anything in a Bob Hope tour that could be pro or con the Vietnam war. Just that we love you and wish you the best. It had some zingers, but nothing that expressed any personal opinion on the conflict. Franken DIDN'T do that with his Saddam rountine.