Doyle in Iraq

Governor Doyle has found his way to Iraq for a surprise visit with the Wisconsin National Guard. Apparently Mr. Doyle wandered into the Pentagon on Sunday for a classified briefing (and, yes, I am disturbed that our military would trust him with any such information) and is now on the ground in the world's youngest democracy. A freshly inked press release notes:

BAGHDAD, IRAQ - Governor Jim Doyle is in Iraq with a delegation of Governors to visit Wisconsin National Guard troops at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State.

Governor Doyle, joined by Governors Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.), Rick Perry (R-Tex.), and Dave Freudenthal (D-Wyo.), began his trip Sunday with classified briefings at the Pentagon and a meeting with Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The delegation departed later Sunday from Andrews Air Force Base and visited National Guard troops Monday at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait yesterday.

"It's an honor to have the opportunity to visit with our troops and see the work they are doing firsthand," Governor Doyle said. "I want them to know how incredibly proud we are of them in Wisconsin, and we look forward to welcoming them home as soon as possible."

At Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Governor Doyle had dinner with soldiers from Wisconsin. His visit to Iraq included stops in various parts of the country, meetings with Wisconsin troops, and a meeting with Major General Thurman, Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division.

Tempting as it is to criticize this trip as a shameless media ploy, the reality is that Mr. Doyle is not the first US official to discreetly make his way to Baghdad, and likely won't be the last. The trend more or less became fashionable when President Bush gave up his Texas Thanksgiving meal in 2003 and embarked on a covert trip to the Middle East. He was, of course, wildly criticized by Democrats back then, as I noted in a column shortly thereafter:

For months, Democrats have criticized President Bush for attempting to distance himself from Iraq, so one would think that leftists would approve of his dropping into Baghdad for some turkey and pumpkin pie. But such would entail taking a break from the “Bush is a warmonger” rhetoric, something that not even cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes can persuade Democrats to do.

And while there is a certain smug irony to members of the party that once did the criticizing now capitalizing on the PR windfall of an Iraqi venture, the reality is that Mr. Doyle may finally have done something positive. Visiting the National Guard is likely good for morale, and a first-hand look at all of the progress being made overseas is surely a good education for a political leader in a state that managed to vote for John Kerry.

Still, Mr. Doyle is not part of the federal government and no matter what referendums may be sitting on various Wisconsin ballots this spring, the reality remains that his primary responsibility is to a wholly domestic agenda. So kudos to the governor for venturing abroad but, please, keep in mind that when he returns to Wisconsin there are still all of those pesky issues – like concealed carry and lower tuition – that he needs to finally address in an honest manner.

We elect Representatives, Senators and a President to handle foreign affairs. Mr. Doyle's responsibility is to that portion of the world the good folks over at Rand McNally refer to as Wisconsin.