The Decider

The Child King paid a visit to Walter Reed hospital today, eager for a photo-op with the troops to bolster his illusion of leadership. He was rightly criticized for offering too little too late.

Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton: "I'm convinced he would honor them more if he would refrain from using soldiers as props in political theater. I would be very happy to see him do the Walter Reed visit more like the commander and secondarily as an inspector general, rather than as a politician," he said.

Bobby Muller, president of Veterans for America: "Walter Reed is not a photo-op. Walter Reed is still broken. The DOD health care system is still broken. ... Our troops need their commander in chief to start working harder for them."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino called it "an unfortunate characterization" to say Bush was using Walter Reed as merely a picture-taking opportunity. She said it took some time to clear enough room on the president's schedule to spend an afternoon with patients and staff at Walter Reed.

"There is no more personal moment that he has, and it's one of the memories that I cherish the most of working for the president, because you see his gratitude, and they share hugs, and they share laughter, they share tears," she said.

I call bullshit. If it was important for Bush to see Walter Reed he would have been there months ago. He's the Decider, right? So he must have "decided" something else mattered more.

It makes me sick to see this coward, this AWOL frat-boy chickenhawk egomaniac, using wounded troops this way. And it makes me crazy to think there are still North Carolina Marines and soldiers who believe this man cares about them and their families.

It's a wonder no one spit in his face.