I think the cards are loaded against us

Patrick makes surprise Iraq trip
By Noah Bierman
Globe Staff / July 22, 2010

Governor Deval Patrick landed in Baghdad yesterday — amid swirling wind and 120-degree heat, he said — making a rare overseas trip to visit some of the state’s troops who are deployed there.

Patrick’s trip with a bipartisan group of four other governors was not announced until hours after he landed, and details of his itinerary were sketchy, the result of security restrictions imposed by the military, he said.

~snip~

Patrick, who is not scheduled to speak with print reporters until today, told television reporters in satellite interviews that his time with Massachusetts troops, many the same ages as his two daughters, gave him a deeper appreciation for their military commitment and a confidence that the scheduled US withdrawal from Iraq is going smoothly.

“Probably the most interesting thing I have heard is how relatively quiet it is,’’ he said during a televised interview with WHDH. “It’s not that all is well. It’s not that there isn’t still danger..’’

But one soldier who has been on multiple tours told Patrick that he no longer faces an immediate firefight upon leaving the base, as he did on a previous mission, Patrick said. “And that, I think, is a very hopeful thing.’’



unhappycamper comment: Even Democrats love this occupation.

You mark cards, load dice. Haven't you ever cheated at gambling?

So the Iraq occupation is a convenient way to accomplish that.

The Iraq mission is drawing to a close. Why is it bad to visit the troops?

That would have helped to show how "progressive", he was.

Wouldn't it?

Don