The visits came with the trappings of the season's hottest rock 'n' roll tour. The star (four of them, really) and his posse roll in a pair of brand new GMC Yukon XL SUVs. There is security everywhere and a corporate sponsor. You could even say he has his groupies and critics. There are no satin tour jackets or opening acts, but that's about all that separates this week's travels by Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, from a tour by John Mayer or Lady Gaga. Petraeus, perhaps the best known active duty officer in the U.S. military, has been on a stateside public appearance blitz this week. He held three events in Georgia on Wednesday, including an "off the record" editorial board meeting with CNN. He also taped an interview with CNN anchor Kyra Phillips. On Thursday he held three more events in Washington. At each stop he is selling his message about Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. CNN was there for all three of his Thursday stops in Washington, hearing him tell the one joke over and over (it's about Wolf Blitzer and the real situation room) as well as fresh jokes aimed at each particular audience (the one about the law students in the bar got some good laughs).