Topic: CNSNews.com
Yes, Craig Bannister really did headline his May 1 CNSNews.com blog post this way: "Was Panetta Just A Pawn In Obama's Bid To Mislead Americans And Slip Out Of The Country Unnoticed?"
And yes, Bannister does spend his blog post whining that the White House did a few deceptive things, including placing a meeting with Leon Panetta, on the White House schedule in order to obscure the fact that Obama was actually on his way to Afghanistan. He huffs: "And, what's with all the cloak-and-dagger secrecy, anyway? I don't know about the rest of you. But, I, for one, resent being duped."
Um, Craig? Haven't many presidential trips to Iraq or Afghanistan by both Obama and President Bush not been officially announced until the president had actually arrivedin order to protect the president's security? Why, yes, they have. Here's an account of Bush's 2003 Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad to visit troops there:
President Bush (search) flew in under the cover of darkness on Thursday to dine with U.S. forces at a Baghdad International Airport mess hall. It was the first trip ever by an American president to Iraq — a mission tense with concern about his safety.
Bush's surprise trip delighted troops and stunned the nation -- including the president's own parents, who had traveled to Crawford, Texas (search), expecting to spend the holiday with their son. Media outlets were reporting on Thursday morning that Bush would be at his ranch all day, only to be told the truth after the fact, when he was safely in the air and headed back home.
It appears Bannister is so petty in his hatred for Obama that he will criticize him visiting the troops in a foreign country.
