As I'm sure you've already heard, President Bush stunned the whole world with a surprise Thanksgiving visit to the troops in Iraq. I was traveling when he walked into that room full of troops but I got the news alert on my cellphone. Still, even six hours later when I was finally able to watch the event on television, chills ran down my spine.

President Bush is a leader. He cares about our troops in Iraq and he believes in the mission that has brought them there. After yesterday's events, I have absolutely no doubt that our President will remain firm in his resolve in regards to Iraq.

Not everybody will see this visit for what it really was, however. While in one breath complimenting the President for the visit most democrats are already down-playing its significance in what can only be considered a prelude to intense criticism which will mark the next few months. From the New York Times:

The surprise visit stunned and confused his rivals, who struggled -- in the midst of Thanksgiving dinner -- to balance praise for the president's gesture with renewed criticism of his Iraq policy, which they said would be among his greatest vulnerabilities in next year's election.

"It's nice that he made it over there today, but this visit won't change the fact that those brave men and women should never have been fighting in Iraq in the first place," said Jay Carson, a spokesman for Howard Dean, one of the biggest critics of the war among the nine Democrats vying for the party's presidential nomination.

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts issued a statement saying that the trip was "the right thing to do for our country." But, he added: "When Thanksgiving is over, I hope the president will take the time to correct his failed policy in Iraq that has placed our soldiers in a shooting gallery."

David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, described the visit as a "daring move and great politics," but added: "I think these kids need more. I'm sure they were buoyed by his coming, but they need more."

This criticism was indeed very mild, but one can only imagine the types of things that are going to be said down the road by the likes of Dean and Daschle.

At the end of the day I don't think the politics of this event really matter. I don't think the soldiers really care if Bush did it for the press or not. I think the troops only care that the were visited by their leader, by their commander-in-chief.

I think this visit meant a lot more to them then Hillary's will, when she finally arrives in Iraq.