Thursday Nov. 27, 2003; 10:28 p.m. EST
Bush Thrills Troops, Hillary Doesn't
While 600 G.I.s leapt to their feet at the sight of President Bush appearing onstage in Baghdad to praise their service and share their Thanksgiving, soldiers at Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan seemed considerably less enthusiastic to have New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in their midst.
"The G.I.s here at the Bagram base were reasonably excited, I think it's fair to say, to see the former first lady," reported Fox News Channel's Geraldo Rivera.
But in the next breath Rivera added, "They were even more impressed with their turkey dinner."
An African-American female G.I. seconded the Fox reporter's assessment, agreeing that the food was more of a morale booster than Mrs. Clinton. Another female soldier at the table concurred.
Meanwhile, back in Baghdad soldiers couldn't say enough about their encounter with their Commander-in-Chief.
"I was totally shocked," one female G.I. told Fox News. "It was a wonderful moment. I think everyone there was so overjoyed just to see the president."
A male soldier told Fox that Bush's visit "really meant a lot to me personally, as I know it did to a lot of the other soldiers, that the Commander-in-Chief was here in person to talk to us on this day when he should be with his family . . . And here in Iraq, the first time ever that a U.S. president's been here."
The New York Democrat has lately taken to accusing President Bush of not appreciating soldiers' sacrifices, and even covering-up battlefield casualties.
Three weeks ago Sen. Clinton secretly visited wounded soliders at Walter Reed Army Hospital, then told Democrats gathered in Iowa that the troops she met were paying the price for Bush's "failed policy" in Iraq.
Clinton also has a spot airing on MSNBC this weekend where she delivers a Thanksgiving message of appreciation to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Editor's note:
Bush Thrills Troops, Hillary Doesn't
While 600 G.I.s leapt to their feet at the sight of President Bush appearing onstage in Baghdad to praise their service and share their Thanksgiving, soldiers at Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan seemed considerably less enthusiastic to have New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in their midst.
"The G.I.s here at the Bagram base were reasonably excited, I think it's fair to say, to see the former first lady," reported Fox News Channel's Geraldo Rivera.
But in the next breath Rivera added, "They were even more impressed with their turkey dinner."
An African-American female G.I. seconded the Fox reporter's assessment, agreeing that the food was more of a morale booster than Mrs. Clinton. Another female soldier at the table concurred.
Meanwhile, back in Baghdad soldiers couldn't say enough about their encounter with their Commander-in-Chief.
"I was totally shocked," one female G.I. told Fox News. "It was a wonderful moment. I think everyone there was so overjoyed just to see the president."
A male soldier told Fox that Bush's visit "really meant a lot to me personally, as I know it did to a lot of the other soldiers, that the Commander-in-Chief was here in person to talk to us on this day when he should be with his family . . . And here in Iraq, the first time ever that a U.S. president's been here."
The New York Democrat has lately taken to accusing President Bush of not appreciating soldiers' sacrifices, and even covering-up battlefield casualties.
Three weeks ago Sen. Clinton secretly visited wounded soliders at Walter Reed Army Hospital, then told Democrats gathered in Iowa that the troops she met were paying the price for Bush's "failed policy" in Iraq.
Clinton also has a spot airing on MSNBC this weekend where she delivers a Thanksgiving message of appreciation to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Editor's note:
