"Let me ask you this:
Do you believe that President Bush got out of bed on Thanksiving Day in 2003 and decided that it would be a great thing to go visit (a "personal visit") the troops in Baghdad?"
According to what I recall he had been considering it for a time prior to Thanksgiving Day in 2003. So no I do not believe that he got out of bed that day and hopped aboard a plane without prior thought.
Interesting though as I recall the trip was planned with the major focus not about himself, rather about the security of those he was coming to visit, and could and would be cancelled at a moments notice.
He made the trip anyway, knowing full well what kind of accusations would be coming his way that once again he was making the military a campaign tool. That I find admirable considering his experience with the "carrier event".
I saw the looks on those faces of those who got a face to face with the commandar-in-chief, and not one of them had the look of being used.
So who is it using the military for political gain, ignoring what it is that gives them honor and support, a surprise visit on Thanksgiving Day.
This isn't a complaint about Bush's trip to Iraq, mind you . . . I said at the time that I thought it was a stroke of political genious.