I am sorry
I have to say, I have got this President all wrong, when i read this week, the he envies all those young patriotic Americans who are heading off to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Deep down, the President is a frustrated Beau Geste or Harry Faversham, who buys into the whole romance of war, you know, war which is like a John Wayne film, or a an episode of 24.
Well you would think his words would have a connection with his past, a past where he existed when there was a war in Vietnam.
I understand because we are talking about a time before Cable News, where war is served up as a form of masculine entertainment.
But to be fair, Bush does qualify under the Mitt Romney how to serve your country guidelines of 2007, where political campaigning is on the same level as being shot by militants.
I am not a pacifist, because sometimes you have to go to war, like WW2, Bosnia, Sierre Leone and Kosovo, but temper any thoughts with the stark consequences of conflict, as in civilian casualties ( that's collateral damage to conservatives ) but also the people coming back to civilian life.
If the president wants to think of the young, when he gets back to Crawford, he could dwell on all those homeless vets, the high rate of suicide in the military, and all those other small details associated with armed conflict.