Obama Disrespects the Troops
by Big Dog on Jul 24, 2008 at 20:55 Political
The right has been waiting for Barack Obama to screw up during his whirlwind campaign tour overseas and his campaign has been holding its breath hoping that he makes it through without a major gaffe. He has made a few but they have been largely ignored by the media. However, it looks like a gaffe that cannot be ignored came when Obama announced that he was changing his plans and would not be visiting wounded soldiers in Germany. There is one thing a person who wants to be president should never do and that is dis the troops. Soldiers expect their leaders to keep their word so this does not sit well for the guy who wants to lead them. This is the lame excuse for the dis:
During his trip as part of the CODEL to Afghanistan and Iraq, Senator Obama visited the combat support hospital in the Green Zone in Baghdad and had a number of other visits with the troops. For the second part of his trip, the senator wanted to visit the men and women at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to express his gratitude for their service and sacrifice. The senator decided out of respect for these servicemen and women that it would be inappropriate to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a trip funded by the campaign. Weekly Standard Blog
First of all, it is never a bad thing to visit the troops regardless of who is paying for the trip. Second of all, was only this part of the trip paid for by the campaign? If not then how does he explain visiting troops in the war zone and at the Combat Support Hospital? Also, if Obama is campaigning in America and decides he wants to visit with the troops at Walter Reed, will he not go because his campaign is footing the bill? This is an extremely poor excuse for not visiting the troops because he can go there and visit without campaigning.
Now don’t get me wrong, the troops are probably relieved they do not have to tolerate this snob who has no idea what military service is. However, it is an honor to meet a member of Congress and if he says he is going to visit, he should. Personally, if I were a patient I would tell the staff that he is, under no circumstances, to be allowed in my room. I would let them know if he visited me it would be embarrassing for him and the hospital. I imagine most of the troops felt he was just using them as a campaign prop anyway (even if he did not actively campaign) and are happy he is not coming but one thing they hate is when people break their word. Obama does a lot of that (like lying about what committee he is on and how he voted).
Earlier this year Obama said that he needed to gain the trust of the troops. Breaking his word is not a real good way to do that. At the time he probably felt he needed their votes but since his Democratic buddies in Congress have worked to keep the military vote from counting, Obama probably does not feel he needs to be bothered with them again. Perhaps it is because the troops watch Fox News. There is no chance in hell that Obama will get the military vote. If he gets 10% he will be lucky.
A possible explanation:
NRO reports that Obama changed plans at the last minute when a campaign staffer was informed he would be denied access. Congressional staffers may accompany but there are rules about campaign visits and what rules they must follow. Obama lacked the guts to leave the staffer behind and go visit the troops. Is this the kind of leadership he wants to show the troops? This also begs the question, did this staffer (or any others) accompany him to his visits with the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq?
My suggestion to my military comrades out there, if offered the opportunity to meet with the guy, just decline. Better yet, say you will and then cancel at the last minute. If they force you to visit with him, bring a basketball. He likes when soldiers hand him one and the media instantly drools when he makes a shot outside the paint. That should provide lots of entertainment.
Barack Obama is not fit to lead the fine men and women who serve in our armed forces. Let’s see to it that he never gets the chance.
UPDATE 1:
Blackfive has a post about how Obama actually treated the troops. It is very enlightening.
UPDATE 2:
The Obama sent out an email soliciting donations. The email was about his speech in Berlin, you know, the one that was not a political speech. Anyone with brains knew what that speech was (why would his campaign pay for that part of the trip if it were not for the political campaign) and they are trying to make money off it. Jake Tapper has the story including the Obama camp’s attempt to say that this was not a solicitation for money (despite the big DONATE button that leads to a donation page).
Tags: brush off, disrespect, fox news, Military, Obama, wounded soldiers
Obama is a dufus made to gaffe. Can you imagine the tension in a medical unit full of wounded troops and Obama? The vile thoughts most would have towards the big eared coward…they would know they were being used as props. It’s probably best he didn’t do this. Perhaps, too, his campaign folk KNEW he would make even more GAFFE’s at such an event.
Obama could care less about our troops. Those who would take a bullet for his righteous ass…good God. Obama cares only of himself and his deserved right to be our next President. Or is he already the POTUS? He sure acts it.
Those who have too much confidence in themselves tend to be very sore losers.
Ravens last blog post..Flight 93 Blog Burst: 9-11 Date On Flag Star?
Obama has probably never been a boy scout or a cub, and he thinks he is qualified to lead the world, yah!
A Tale of Two – When Obama was a young man; he was smoking dope, cocaine and practicing shooting 3-pointers; when John McCain was a young man, he was in a Vietnamese prison, givng comfort and aid to other prisioners.
[…] I wrote yesterday and the conservative part of the Internet was abuzz with the story that Barack Obama had pulled out of a visit with wounded troops in Germany. My original piece discussed an issue with the DOD indicating that Obama could only go there in the capacity of a Senator and that campaign personnel could not accompany him. The DOD is saying that it only reminded the Senator of the law against campaigning on military installations and as part of that he could only bring Congressional staffers. He had to leave campaign staff and the media behind (the military would provide photographers). The DOD states that it left the decision as to whether to show or not up to Obama. We know what decision he made. The article indicates the DOD did not even make a judgment as to whether he was visiting or campaigning. It just reminded him of the rules. “Sen. Obama is welcome to visit Landstuhl or any military hospital in his official capacity as a United States senator,” Morrell said in a brief interview. “But there is a DoD policy which governs campaigning and electioneering at military facilities that would have to be respected if he were to visit. That distinction was relayed and made clear to campaign, and they made a decision on their own based on that guidance.” Politico […]
I’ve heard that at the DNC Obama plans to feed the masses with only a few loaves of bread and a few fish. “He” also plans to walk on water and then change it to wine…
Luckily for the DNC “He” can’t heal the blind and the mentally ill or there wouldn’t be any Democrats left to vote for “Him”.