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| Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:00:00 EST Bush may visit U.S. troops in Asia |
| Speculation is percolating within the traveling White House press corps that President Bush may make a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan or Iraq at the end of his current Asia tour. If it happened, this would put the commander in chief in one of the war zones just before Thanksgiving. As of now, he is scheduled to return to the White House from his trip to Japan, South Korea, China, and Mongolia on Monday, then leave for his Texas ranch on Tuesday for the holiday. Reporters recall that Bush made an unannounced trip to Iraq during his first term for a quick Thanksgiving meal, and the timing could be right for another visit to demonstrate support for the troops at a time when the administration's Iraq policy is under attack from critics at home. White House officials say any unannounced visits are, well, unannounced for obvious security reasons. In other words, they won't give a definitive answer, so the press corps is left to speculate. |
| Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:00:00 EST Reduced expectations for Asia trip |
| Call it spin or lowering expectations. But senior U.S. officials say they don't expect any big developments from President Bush's trip to Asia this week. For example, White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Japan yesterday: "This is not a trip where the president has to come with a deliverable or [an] initiative." Referring specifically to Bush's visit to China later this week, Hadley said, "I don't think you're going to see headline breakthroughs." |
| Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:00:00 EST Now showing at the Cineplex White House: the speaker's secret past |
| Our critic in chief, U.S. News White House correspondent Kenneth Walsh, couldn't catch last night's episode of ABC's Commander in Chief (he had some sketchy excuse about a press trip to Asia with the real president). Filling in is assistant managing editor Kent Allen, who once saw Jackie Kennedy in a White House hallway while on a tour when he was age 2 and who attended the first South Lawn T-ball game during the current regime. |
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