Bush is in Iraq: A "dramatic and secretive visit" using the standard Bush campaign playbook

Nothing like a surprise visit to Iraq to show "progress." Now everyone will know Bush has been right all along. This is has become a standard Bush campaign ploy:

President Bush made a surprise visit to this isolated and well fortified air field in Anbar province Monday to meet with top U.S. and Iraqi officials and to showcase what he calls one of the successes of his decision to surge 30,000 additional troops into Iraq.

Bush slipped out of a side door of the White House for the furtive trip that was aimed at bolstering his position for not drawing down troops from Iraq. During six hours on the ground here, the president was to meet with Army Gen. David Petreaus and other military commanders and Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, before holding a session with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and members of his central government.

Still waiting for that hero's welcome and parade Bush was supposed to receive four and a half years ago.

If things are going so well, why are the visits still "secret"? Bush must have thought, hey, if Katie Couric can do it, so can I.

[Note from AJ: Just in case there's anybody who still doesn't understand this code, "surprise visit" is simply a euphemism for "it's so dangerous we couldn't tell anybody about the trip in advance because the whole group might have been killed if we did." This has been a public service announcement.]