Democratic Congressmen are accusing Bush of “flamboyant showmanship,” as Sen. Robert Byrd put it, when he landed May 2 via Navy jet on the deck of the USS Lincoln prior to his speech declaring the end of the war in Iraq. Rep. Henry Waxman of California is calling for a release of the financial impact of W.’s grand entrance by the GAO. Of course, the administration isn’t cooperating. If it’s not such a big deal, then why won’t they release the numbers? It’s estimated that the cost was $5,000 per hour, which, the administration claims, is the same as it would have cost for Bush to arrive via helicopter. But that wouldn’t have been nearly as dramatic, now would it have been?
CNN.com – Administration defends Bush’s jet flight to aircraft carrier
I think it’s fine that Bush gave the speech on the carrier, which was all Fleischer focused on in his defense of W., but that’s not what’s at debate here. It’s how Bush made his entrance that is questionable. Whether it was a cheap campaign trick or not, who knows? What I do know is that the entrance was over the top. Other than the fact that it cost tax payers lots of dough, so what? Boys will be boys. Let the draft dodger have fun while he can.
