Tuesday, April 03, 2007
“like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime,”
That was the assessment by the allegedly intelligent Mike Pence, Republican congressmoop from Indiana and fellow traveler with Sen. John "Never met a bomb target I didn't like" McCain, of the Baghdad market they toured on Sunday. I have never been to an Indiana market but I strongly suspect that they would fail to need this level of protection to visit.
The delegation arrived at the market, which is called Shorja, on Sunday with more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees — the equivalent of an entire company — and attack helicopters circled overhead, a senior American military official in Baghdad said. The soldiers redirected traffic from the area and restricted access to the Americans, witnesses said, and sharpshooters were posted on the roofs. The congressmen wore bulletproof vests throughout their hour long visit.This is not to say they were entirely shielded from reality.
During their visit on Sunday, the Americans were buttonholed by merchants and customers who wanted to talk about how unsafe they felt and the urgent need for more security in the markets and throughout the city, witnesses said.But these people, like most Americans, had never met a presidential candidate on the campaign trail before Sunday. Reality flowed off him like water off a ducks back as he and his crew strove to create the reality they needed for their message.
“They asked about our conditions, and we told them the situation was bad,” said Aboud Sharif Kadhoury, 63, who peddles prayer rugs at a sidewalk stand...Ali Youssef, 39, who sells glassware from a sidewalk stand down the block from Mr. Kadhoury, recalled: “Everybody complained to them. We told them we were harmed.”
Mr. McCain was asked about a comment he made on a radio program in which he said that he could walk freely through certain areas of Baghdad.Have you ever noticed that the rich people always have good drugs?
“I just came from one,” he replied sharply. “Things are better and there are encouraging signs.”
He added, “Never have I been able to go out into the city as I was today.”
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