by David R. Remer    Political News & Analysis

The President's surprise visit, (no doubt for security reasons), had all of the patina of McArthur's filmed return to the Phillipines, or Nixon's trip to China. But, this effort to display his role as Commander In Chief, friend of American troops, hides none of the political reason for the war, the poltiical reason for the photo-op, or the political reason for pushing headlines about American miltary deaths off the front pages.

Nor will it do much to hide the oncoming wave of criticism and disbelief as American's learn of the administration's review of calling up the draft of American youth to fight Bush's wars. America's war is with the terrorists and their supporters who attacked our land and people. Half the people in this land don't want this war in Iraq to continue taking American lives. Yet, on the floor of Congress, discussion and warnings of reinstating conscription to fight Bush's wars as well as America's war can be heard. The last time I saw the draft conscript American youth into a war they did not agree with, I saw our nation torn apart with images of a police state shooting and killing unarmed students protesting the war on a college campus.

Friendly visit to the troops for a much needed bolster of morale or a politcal stunt like that photo-op on an aircraft carrier all but declaring victory. You decide.

 And where is that victory, anyway, that is supposed to mark the end of our military losses?