Alright, I've had it. Been good and held my tongue, but just can't anymore.
The last thing in the whole wide world that a medium to major disaster/crisis area needs is a visit from the President or First Lady and their security/support entourage to soak up resources that could be better devoted to rescue and damage control - and a pox with purple pustulent boils upon the genitalia of those who would suggest that not rushing to inflict Presidential Presence on a disaster area is an indication of a lack of caring, support, or interest by said President.
A Presidential visit, or even a recently past President/First Lady visiting, is a huge pain for local emergency services ranging from amp'd up emergency medical response lest the Great One inhale a stogie, stroke out, pass out in a compromising position, or whatever - and limited law enforcement resources are drained away from actually helping to protect the Great One from said Great One's "un-friends".
Our President and sundry lesser Great Ones (at least in their own mind) need to have the balls and the self-respect to stand in front of a television camera and say "No, I'm not going to disaster du jour - my presence would inflict unnecessary suffering on those already hurting, divert needed resources from assistance and recovery, and just generally screw things up beyond current levels of chaos. I care, I wish I could responsibly go, but where my presence will only make a bad situation worse I know it's my responsibility to stay away."
George, Laura - stay home or stay in the air. Unless you can run a crane or hold a degree in forensic mechanical engineering, y'all are a burden, not a help.
While I agree with you in principle, Mrs Bush's visit was a preplanned one, and so the protection for her was already in place. I give it about 12 hours before the Left starts screaming about it being merely the First Lady, and not the President himself, showing up today.
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