Reply #4: Bush Speaks and Base Is Subdued

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/12/us/12prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Bush Speaks and Base Is Subdued

FORT BENNING, Ga., Jan. 11 — President Bush came to this Georgia military base looking for a friendly audience to sell his new Iraq strategy. But his lunchtime talk received a restrained response from soldiers who clapped politely but showed little of the wild enthusiasm that they ordinarily shower on the commander in chief.

Under the new plan, more than 20,000 additional troops will be sent to Iraq, some from Fort Benning who learned Thursday that they would go earlier than expected. But instead of centering his address on the soldiers’ situation, Mr. Bush seemed to be aiming his talk at ordinary Americans and members of Congress who are skeptical of his proposal.

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In his speech, Mr. Bush took note of that, saying, “I appreciate the sacrifices our troops are willing to make.” But he did not dwell on sacrifice; a senior White House official said the president did not want that to be the major theme of his talk.

It was difficult to know how the soldiers felt about returning to the war zone, or the president’s new Iraq plan. Though Mr. Bush’s lunch was open to the press, the base commander, Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski, would not let the troops in attendance talk to reporters. His spokeswoman said the commander wanted “the focus to be on the president.”