Here’s a story you’re not going to read about in the NY Times or hear about on MSNBC (The Obama Network). You know the photo that has been plastered everywhere of Obama’s surprise trip to Iraq where all the troops are hugging him? It was staged — completely.

It turns out Obama’s so-called “surprise” visit to Iraq — wasn’t a surprise at all. Commanders at Camp Victory were told 24 hrs in advance the president was coming.

Then soldiers were asked to raise their hand if they voted for Obama and those who did were hustled into the meeting place to await Obama’s arrival. Officials even handed out cameras and told the soldiers to hold them up. You can tell in the photo that all the cameras are the same.

MacRanger over at Macsmind learned about this from a letter he received from a sergeant in Iraq who was actually there. Jim Treacher has some interesting analysis of it as well over at Hot Air.

What makes this particularly galling is that the liberal media has used that photo to brag about how much the troops love Obama.

I can assure you that commanders didn’t have to put people in place to welcome president Bush to Iraq. The troops knew their commander-in-chief supported their mission and they loved him for it.

Contrast that with Obama who visited Iraq after his overseas America bashing tour in which he repeatedly told European audiences that Iraq was a “distraction” that will be brought to a close soon enough.

I’m sure that made the soldiers who are still spilling their blood and guts in Iraq feel great.

-Chris Jones