Issue for Bush: How to Speak of Casualties?
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
November 5, 2003
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 — When the Chinook helicopter was shot down on Sunday in Iraq, killing 15 Americans, President Bush let his defense secretary do the talking and stayed out of sight at his ranch. The president has not attended the funeral of any American soldiers killed in action, White House officials say. And with violence in Baghdad dominating the headlines this week, he has used his public appearances to focus on the health of the economy and the wildfires in California.
But after some of the deadliest attacks yet on American forces, the White House is struggling with the political consequences for a president who has said little publicly about the mounting casualties of the occupation.http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/05/politics/campaigns/05STRA.html?hpbut for all their efforts at "balance", like allowing the repugs the last word on the raygun movie contretemps, here there is no dissenting view. they couldn't find one person who disapproved? not one family with a dead son who was upset with this?
especially galling was the spin that chimpy was avoiding funerals to respect the privacy of the military families... riiiiight....