(via Blackfive) IMHO, much of the the stark red/blue division in the comments on the post about Abu Ghraib boils down to conflicting opinions about the lowest level of Human Nature and morality within the administration.   I thought this story might be an interesting litmus test of the deep emotional divide gripping the nation -

President Bush, fulfilling a 15-month-old promise, jogged around the South Lawn yesterday with a soldier who had been badly wounded in Afghanistan.

During a Jan. 17, 2003, visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Mr. Bush met Staff Sgt. Michael McNaughton of Denham Springs, La.

On Jan. 8, Sgt. McNaughton, a member of the Louisiana National Guard, had stepped on a land mine 30 miles north of Kabul. His right leg had to be removed above the knee, he lost two fingers on his right hand and he suffered shrapnel wounds in his left leg.

The president and Sgt. McNaughton had talked about running, and Mr. Bush promised to run with the soldier when he was "fully recovered and able to run with his prosthetic leg," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

Some folks (myself included) really see this in a sincere,"aw shucks" kind of way.   The cynics - many who have full fledged Bush Derangement Syndrome - instead see it as naive, a photo op, and can't just let it be without an instantaneous, "that's nice, but..." followed by a snide litany about flag draped coffins, quagmire, going jogging after learning about prisoner abuse, whatever.  Too many - especially here in San Francisco -- simply refuse to believe the honesty and symbolic importance of this event and for them I extend my pity.  (I can only imagine how much this photo must make them cringe).  They may acknowledge the action verbally but I've gotta imagine it's despite a deep, underlying cynicism.

I choose to quietly smile, enjoy the moment, and acknowledge that our President - whatever his other faults may be and trust me, I've got a list - occasionally demonstrates the best in Men's souls.  Would Bush have done this if the press wasn't watching?  Yes, I honestly think he would.  Your view of this probably correlates with your view of the administration's sincerity in prosecuting Abu Ghraib.