President Bush has left his estate in Crawford to makes a series of speeches designed to rally support for staying the course in Iraq.
Monday, he spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Salt Lake City and invoked 9/11 and compared the war on terror to World War II.
On Wednesday in Idaho, he'll deliver an address to the families of National Guard members and once again defend his administration's approach to the Iraq War, while continuing to urge us all to honor the sacrifices made by those who serve.
In over two years of war in Iraq, nearly 16,000 American soldiers have been killed or wounded and a minimum of 23,589 Iraqi civilians have died. The Bush administration's 2006 budget called for raising co-payments and the establishment of "user fees" for veterans to receive medical care. Veterans of the Iraq War are beginning to show up in homeless shelters across the nation. The soldiers in Iraq still do not have the armor and equipment they need, nor are there enough forces to successfully combat the insurgency. Back-door-draft measures are still in wide usage; Army officials say we could be in combat in Iraq for upwards of six more years; and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel compared the Iraq War to Vietnam while stating that we can barely keep secure the road from Baghdad to the airport. The month of August has seen the highest per-day average of American military fatalities in more than a year.
"The generation of men and women who defend our freedom today," Bush said Monday at the VFW national convention, "is taking its rightful place among the heroes of our nation's history. Once again, America has found patriots who are selfless and tireless and unrelenting in the face of danger."
Between speeches about the war, President Bush, the military's Commander-in-Chief, will be honoring our nation's war heroes and setting an example of what it means to be "tireless and selfless and unrelenting in the face of danger"...
...By vacationing at the beautiful and picturesque Tamarack Resort nestled in the wilderness of pristine Donnelly, Idaho!
At the Tamarack Resort, the president might enjoy Summer accommodations in one of Tamarack's fully-appointed chalets, complete with a "vaulted open floor plan with exposed beams, soaring 22ft. high stone fireplace, and large, two-story picture windows." While relaxing between naps in one of the chalet's overstuffed sleeper sofas, the president will be able to watch bass fishing on a "32-inch flat screen TV... with high-end, in-wall speakers."
That's not all! Bush can prove his mettle as a "War President" and contemplate the bitter-sweet waning days of his five-week vacation by perhaps hitting the links at the Robert Trent Jones II Signature golf course:
"At the turn on hole 8, as you emerge from a shimmering grove of aspens, you contemplate which is more impressive — the immense bald eagle scanning the fairway's bordering wetlands or the perfect blue of Lake Cascade? You wonder, could this day get any better?"
Heck yes it can!
Nothing says "taking the fight to the enemy" like spending an afternoon pontoon boating or "skimming along in a Hobie cat" on the sparkling waters of Lake Cascade. And hopefully the president brought along his swimming trunks because, "[The] waterfront is open NOW for kayaking... waterskiing & wakeboarding!"
But wait! Still more! If that's not enough to cleanse the pesky stains left by the blood of thousands, the president can sacrifice and resolve his way to a place where the action is. The Canoe Grille, "Where the action is! Here [the president will] enjoy hearty and imaginative lunches. Canoe Grill Theater features movies throughout the season!"
Yes, when you have to choose the best way to set an example for those who you've sent to fight and die for our nation, choose the Tamarack Resort, and spend your next between-war-speeches vacation-within-a-vacation getaway suckling from the nourishing teat of mother luxury.
The following photo is President Bush during a brief Q&A with reporters at the Tamarack Resort.
Based on his expression, is he discussing:
A. The War in which thousands have been killed
B. Pontoon Boating
C. Cookies
D. None of the above -- he's being tickled