President Obama on Saturday traveled to Dover Air Force Base to greet America’s fallen soldiers. But while there, Mr. Obama was photographed saluting a flag-covered casket of one returning soldier which prompted criticism from the President’s most reliable critic–Rush Limbaugh, of course–who called the trip a poll-driven “photo-op.”

“It was a photo op precisely because he’s having big-time trouble on this whole Afghanistan dithering situation,” the conservative radio icon told “Fox News Sunday.”

While there is little question in my mind that the President is sincere in his concern for the men and women of the Armed Forces, there is absolutely no question the White House is hyper-sensitive to growing concerns among the public that the President is wholly out of his depth as a career politician trying to effectively execute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A New York Times report of the even said the photos were taken to “convey to the nation the President was not making his Afghanistan decision lightly or in haste.”

While very few, I think, would believe the President is making his Afghanistan decision in haste after Administration officials on Monday said it could be three more weeks until the official strategy in Afghanistan is announced, there is mounting concern that he’s taking this decision to deploy more troops–or leave those presently on the ground floundering without the necessary support–lightly.

And to quell these concerns, the White House made the conscious decision to telegraph and commemorate Obama’s actions.

The President’s decision to pay tribute to America’s fallen soldiers was a noble and indeed righteous act, but paying homage does not necessitate he bring along the D.C. press corps.

Even with photos like these to remind the public that President Obama is cognizant of the human cost of battle field success, voters will only afford the President and his advisors so much indecisiveness with American lives hanging in the balance and the heart of Rush’s criticism, I think, speaks to this.

On Monday after a long birthday weekend, I appeared on MSNBC alongside Ari Melber of The Nation to debate the impetus and optics of this photo. Below is the unedited clip, in which I wear a bow tie.

And if you’d like to send more hate mail concentrating on my choice of tie (e.g., “your bow tie dwarfed your fucking head, you Republican piece of shit), please feel free to email gofugyourself@Idontcarewhatyouthinkaboutmywardrobe.com.