"Patrick makes surprise Iraq trip; Visit run by Pentagon lets 5 governors visit their troops" by Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | July 22, 2010
Governor Deval Patrick landed in Baghdad yesterday — amid swirling wind and 120-degree heat, he said — making a rare overseas trip to visit some of the state’s troops who are deployed there.
Patrick’s trip with a bipartisan group of four other governors was not announced until hours after he landed, and details of his itinerary were sketchy, the result of security restrictions imposed by the military, he said....
I'm wondering when a GOVERNOR is going to SPEAK OUT against these damn wars!
Patrick, who is not scheduled to speak with print reporters until today, told television reporters in satellite interviews that his time with Massachusetts troops, many the same ages as his two daughters, gave him a deeper appreciation for their military commitment and a confidence that the scheduled US withdrawal from Iraq is going smoothly.
“Probably the most interesting thing I have heard is how relatively quiet it is,’’ he said during a televised interview with WHDH. “It’s not that all is well. It’s not that there isn’t still danger..’’
But one soldier who has been on multiple tours told Patrick that he no longer faces an immediate firefight upon leaving the base, as he did on a previous mission, Patrick said. “And that, I think, is a very hopeful thing.’’
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Meanwhile, Beacon Hill is working at full throttle, rushing to finish several of Patrick’s priorities before the legislative session ends July 31. Many of those priorities, including a casino gambling bill under negotiation between the House and Senate, are very much in doubt. The trip also coincides with a tough reelection campaign for Patrick.
But the governor’s rivals did not question his motives, and he and his staff said the timing was out of his hands. The Department of Defense organized and paid for the trip, which also included governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a Republican who may run for president; Democrat Jay Nixon of Missouri; Republican Jim Douglas of Vermont; and Republican Mike Rounds of South Dakota....
Four years ago, when Governor Mitt Romney traveled to Iraq while flirting with his presidential run, he was criticized by the state Democratic Party, which called the trip ridiculous and mocked him as thinking “he’s already a major foreign policy expert’’ two years ahead of the election....
It just shows you WHO HAS MORE CLASS up here, America!
Yeah, what a bunch of STINKING A**HOLES Massachusetts DemocraPs are!!!
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"Patrick back in Kuwait for next leg of trip
Governor Deval Patrick was back in Kuwait yesterday after a second day spent visiting Iraq. He told reporters in a conference call yesterday that he was spending the night in Kuwait before continuing his trip. For security reasons, Patrick would not say whether he was headed next to Afghanistan. He said he spent much of the day north of Baghdad in Balad. He also spoke with members of the 164th Transportation Battalion from Dorchester, whose send-off ceremony he attended in January at the TD Garden (AP)."
So where is he headed next?
"Governor heartened by Afghan encounters" by Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff | July 24, 2010
Governor Deval Patrick, in Afghanistan as part of his ongoing visit to troops in the Middle East, received a briefing on the war in Afghanistan yesterday from General David Petraeus and US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, the governor told reporters in a conference call.
The officials told the governor that they saw signs of success in a recent Kabul conference attended by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her counterparts but led largely by Afghan forces and civilian authorities, Patrick said.
Related: Four More Years in Afghanistan
“I think that he feels very good about the progress that has been made largely through the special operations, special forces, in striking the leadership of the Taliban,’’ Patrick said of Petraeus.
The governor praised what he said was an emphasis on social and economic justice, such as building schools and infrastructure and supporting small businesses in Afghanistan....
So when are you going to start doing that here at home?
I wouldn't mind if he stayed over there.
"Patrick wraps up 4-day Middle East trip; Governor visits Bay State troops in Afghanistan" by John M. Guilfoil, Globe Staff | July 25, 2010
Governor Deval Patrick is expected to return to Boston today after completing his four-day trip to the Middle East, his office said yesterday.
Patrick had breakfast with troops in Afghanistan before boarding a UH-60 Blackhawk to Sharana Air Base in Paktika Province for lunch and face time with the troops, including members of the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 379th Engineering Company from Pittsfield and Buzzards Bay....
Patrick then left Afghanistan for Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to visit wounded troops there....
What's the carbon footprint for all this globe-hopping, huh?
I mean, I don't care except for the fact that it is agenda-pushing pukes like him that are making it an issue.
Back home again.
"Patrick returns from war zone, defends visit" by Emma Stickgold, Globe Correspondent | July 26, 2010
Governor Deval Patrick returned from a tour of Middle East war zones last night, capping off a trip he embarked on with several other governors last week.
Patrick spent the past few days meeting US military personnel, making stops in Iraq and Kuwait before visiting Afghanistan.
He also visited wounded troops in Germany Saturday, before heading back to Massachusetts yesterday.
“There really is no preparation for how appalling the violence is,’’ he told reporters shortly after his arrival at Logan International Airport around 8:40 p.m. last night.
While he was visiting a US military operation center in Kabul, fighting raged nearby, he said.
“It was a bloody day in Afghanistan,’’ the governor recalled.
Still, many servicemen and women were in good spirits and handling tough situations well, he said....
Oh, moral is great, huh?
Related: Declining morale of US troops in Afghanistan
The MSM and government lied you in there so why would they tell the truth now?
Patrick said he was struck by how anxious some Massachusetts service members feel about reentering the job market after their military duty is over.
Will it ever end is the question.
“In every case, I told the person I would do personally whatever I could to make sure they have a way forward,’’ he said....
Is he taking a personal interest in you, readers?
