I mean, what are they going to say?

Has anybody not noticed that the man frequently described as the President of the United States addresses his constituents only inside military bases or, if anywhere else, only in the company of very carefully selected groups of supporters who have been given passes?

Lately in fact the venues for his speeches or appearances have been more and more of the uniformed sort. Even during his first term I can't recall that Bush ever addressed a free assembly of any kind, and a commencement address or two in front of a religious college doesn't count.

[image by Charles Dharapak from the Associated Press]