NYT wonders: Why didn’t Obama leave his aides behind and visit those wounded troops alone?
posted at 4:10 pm on July 29, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Gooooood question. One that’s been asked before. Repeatedly.
Before his visit to Ramstein Air Base, which is near the medical center, was canceled, the plan called for reporters to stay behind at an airport terminal while Mr. Obama and one adviser met with the troops. Why? The Pentagon does not allow reporters and photographers inside Landstuhl…
[O]ne question remains: Why didn’t Mr. Obama leave his aides behind, even the retired general, and make the visit by himself?
“Even him going alone would likely be characterized by some as a political event,” Mr. Gibbs said in an interview on Monday, adding, “He decided not to put the troops in that position.”
Really? Then why’d he meet with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, or at Walter Reed a few weeks ago? He has every right to go in his capacity as senator, minus his campaign apparatus. And if they were so worried about perceptions of politicking, why did Gibbs himself tell the media pool on the plane that the visit had been planned “for a long time”? Surely they’d already weighed that factor and decided it was worth going — until Gen. Gration was turned away, whereupon the whole plan changed. Team McCain wants answers, too:
Today, Command Sergeant Major Craig Layton, USA (Ret.) — who served as the Command Sergeant Major at Landstuhl — issued the following statement on Barack Obama’s canceled visit to Ramstein and Landstuhl:
“Having spent two years as the Command Sergeant Major at Landstuhl Hospital, I am always grateful for the attention that facility receives from members of Congress. There is no more important work done by the United States Army than to care for those who have been wounded in the service our country. While Americans troops remain engaged in two hot wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a steady stream of casualties to the hospital, and a steady stream of visitors who wish to meet with those troops and thank them for their service.
“Senator Obama has explained his decision to cancel a scheduled visit there by blaming the military, which would not allow one of his political advisers to join him in a tour of the facility. Why Senator Obama felt he needed an adviser with him to visit U.S. troops is unclear, but if Senator Obama isn’t comfortable meeting wounded American troops without his entourage, perhaps he does not have the experience necessary to serve as commander in chief.”
Isn’t the most plausible explanation at this point that Gration’s ego was wounded by the Pentagon deciding he couldn’t go, and Obama, forced to choose between leaving him behind and soothing his ruffled feathers by canceling the trip to see the troops, chose the latter?
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Judgement
ThePrez on July 29, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Which says a lot about his warped priorities.
Mommynator on July 29, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Obama exemplifies self-absorbed narcissism on steroids. What’s in it [a solo visit to our troops] for HIM?
Fishoutofwater on July 29, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Squat day, didn’t want to miss any reps.
benrand on July 29, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Uhhhhh…….Ummmmmm……..Well I……Uhhhhhh……Ehhhhhh….Distractions.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 29, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Robert, there is a possibility that Gration did not tell Barry the truth and steered him away with some phony excuse. Let’s see if the next time we see Gration he has tread marks from a bus on his back.
iam7545 on July 29, 2008 at 4:16 PM
I thought the Meme was he had a GREAT World Tour? Something tells me Not So Much! LOL
ordi on July 29, 2008 at 4:16 PM
Marathon game of “Horse” that he could not be pulled away from?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 29, 2008 at 4:16 PM
The guy who designed his own presidential seal and wanted to speak at Brandenburg Gate didn’t meet with troops for their benefit?
Right. Sorta like how he voted against them being there.
I realize he’s got to be polite, but seriously, someone else should be waving this flag day and night.
emailnuevo on July 29, 2008 at 4:16 PM
Obama exemplifies self-absorbed narcissism on steroids. What’s in it [a solo visit to our troops] for HIM?
Fishoutofwater on July 29, 2008 at 4:14 PM
—–
Gives the lie to the lefts’ “Hate the CinC, love the troops” line of BS, eh?
If he did give a shi’ite about the troops, he’d've gone.
Mew
acat on July 29, 2008 at 4:16 PM
Will Obama do the unthinkable and throw HIMSELF under the bus?
“This is not the Barack Obama that I thought I knew.”
NoDonkey on July 29, 2008 at 4:17 PM
Because he completely disregards and disrespects the miltary and could see no political advantage to doing so. Anything would be better than spending time with soldiers who might disagree with him and not be afraid to tell him so.
dustoffmom on July 29, 2008 at 4:17 PM
There: now it’s merely rhetorical.
Akzed on July 29, 2008 at 4:18 PM
Obama is a coward who voted against funding the troops in a time of war. He didn’t have the GUTS to look wounded warriors in the eye because he knows full well that they know he thinks of them a fodder in his political quest to save Europe from America.
Yep, that sounds about right.
winemkr on July 29, 2008 at 4:19 PM
I don’t know much about Gen. Gration’s background, but if he’s that thin-skinned maybe he isn’t that great an advisor to have.
But at least he hasn’t blamed the war on the Joooooooos yet, like McPeak and Wacky Wes.
BuzzCrutcher on July 29, 2008 at 4:19 PM
…………….damn. :)
ThePrez on July 29, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Treasonous Bastards….the NYT that is, for even DARING to question the Messiah, Barack HUSSEIN Obama! (PBUH)(SWT)(SAW)!
Off with their heads…
Dale in Atlanta on July 29, 2008 at 4:20 PM
If Charlie Rangel wants himself investigated for an ethics violation, Hussein can jump sub-busward.
Akzed on July 29, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Okay Dale….have spent days trying to figure out the initials….I missed it if you ever posted and frankly give up. :-D Pray tell, what do they mean???
dustoffmom on July 29, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Just wait for half a day.
Obama’s camp will ‘clearify’ that Obama did not make the decision himself. It was one of the aids who made an ‘inartful’ decision.
Just like one of his aids filled out the questionaire, it was not Obama’s fault.
Sir Napsalot on July 29, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Top Ten of Obama’s 36 Answers:
A) He’s not allowed to go to strange places without an adult.
B) He doesn’t make the decisions.
C) Okay, it was mistake number 3,624 but he’ll get better. Honest!
….
Dusty on July 29, 2008 at 4:23 PM
He was afraid that if he released any pictures from the event that the media would call the pictures more “fake news” or “controlled news” so, he decided it would hurt his campaign to visit the troops..
The media controlling Obama’s campaign..
Chakra Hammer on July 29, 2008 at 4:24 PM
D) There was a sign at the hospital that said, “No Curious Georges.”
Akzed on July 29, 2008 at 4:24 PM
What would we do without professional journalists making 100’s of thousands of dollars per year, who wait a week to ask the obvious question that every blogger asked 10 minutes after the event… and then knew the answer to immediately.
But they are getting better… most of the time they NEVER ask the obvious question! That’s easier than lying, but they will lie if required, since it is part of their job as Democrat shills!
drunyan8315 on July 29, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Obama was probably embarassed to show his face to wonded troops. He’s betrayed them too many times. It’s kind of like showing up at the funeral of someone you accidentally killed. You should go, but no one there wants you there. It takes too much courage to show up. Obama doesn’t have it.
The man is not fit to be President of the United States.
orlandocajun on July 29, 2008 at 4:25 PM
He had already performed his quota of miracles for the day.
Wade on July 29, 2008 at 4:25 PM
That doesn’t explain why Obama has made visits to Walter Reed Hospital.
seanhackbarth on July 29, 2008 at 4:28 PM
Obama/Gration ticket?
jgapinoy on July 29, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Does it bother anybody else how unashamedly the messiah lies? He does it without a moment’s hesitation, like breathing.
And the way he smiles and shakes hands is so uber-weird…it reminds me of what he wrote in his book, that it’s how he “puts white folks at ease.”
His shininess is not from being “clean” as Biden puts it, it’s pure slime.
JustTruth101 on July 29, 2008 at 4:31 PM
He made visits to Walter Reed solely because nearly all of the current administration visit there frequently, McCain certainly does and he thought it was one of those ‘check marks’ he needs to achieve to bolster his reputation. Visiting ignorant troops from Iraq—check.
dustoffmom on July 29, 2008 at 4:31 PM
Regardless of whatever excuse du jour Obama’s camp is offering, the fact remains that he had no good reason for cancelling his long-scheduled visit “to thank the troops.” Like every other American, Obama owes those wounded troops his thanks, and the fact that he blew them off so easily speaks volumes about the kind of Senator, the kind of Presidential candidate, the kind of American, and the kind of man Obama is.
AZCoyote on July 29, 2008 at 4:32 PM
Because he is a superstar! He don’t need to visit no wounded troops. He’s big!
carbon_footprint on July 29, 2008 at 4:35 PM
Uhmmmm….I think we know what kind of man he is, it’s commonly called eunuch.
dustoffmom on July 29, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Why do you think that it was the General who got his nose out of joint. Isn’t it just as likely that the Messiah himself didn’t like restrictions on his his ministrations? Shame on the General if he did get pissed off over this, but don’t forget that the decisioin to put an ego ahead of the troops was Obama’s.
Longhorn Six on July 29, 2008 at 4:36 PM
he would be compelled to lay on hands the wounded and heal them. thus draining all his energies to carry out the rest of the days schedule. and im sure there was alot of really important stuff to do that day.
palefaced on July 29, 2008 at 4:37 PM
Because B. Obama, without the crotch-grabbing general/s wouldn’t have known what to do, to say, what protocol to follow.
Entelechy on July 29, 2008 at 4:37 PM
Global Citizens don’t have to answer to us peons.
RushBaby on July 29, 2008 at 4:37 PM
Personally, I’d do anything to get outta squat day…
Rhinoboy on July 29, 2008 at 4:38 PM
Also, just loving up the Soldiers with empathy and praise doesn’t come natural to Obama.
Entelechy on July 29, 2008 at 4:38 PM
And so on the 4th day of his sojourn the Chosen One was beset upon by an angel while shooting baskets in the nasium of gym. The Lord’s angel spoke in hushed tones of the silliness of performing miracles if there is no press to record the event.
Alden Pyle on July 29, 2008 at 4:39 PM
…and pass up a chance to shoot hoops?
Maybe they didn’t have no hoops at the hospital.
I hear if he doesn’t shoot hoops at least twice a day that he starts turning Michael Jackson.
Hening on July 29, 2008 at 4:39 PM
None of this matters — in the end, the NYT will forgive The Messiah anything and everything and
anointsupport him.Given their editorial positions over the years — as shown on news and opinion pages alike — this was just a hiccup. I blame the fact that Osama Obama didn’t let Maureen Dowdy sniff his shirt.
MrScribbler on July 29, 2008 at 4:39 PM
Since Barack Obama’s resume is so thin and his policy positions seem to be so … fluid, the voter does not have much to go on when trying to determine if he has the qualities necessary in a President of the United States.
So one has to make judgements based on what information one has. This decision to cancel a visit with wounded troops over such small potatoes speaks volumes.
So do Barack Obama’s associations… But that is a topic for another thread.
gridlock2 on July 29, 2008 at 4:40 PM
Damn! Then who’s driving the bus?
Sir Napsalot on July 29, 2008 at 4:40 PM
Okay Dale….have spent days trying to figure out the initials….I missed it if you ever posted and frankly give up. :-D Pray tell, what do they mean???
dustoffmom on July 29, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Dale in Atlanta on July 29, 2008 at 4:41 PM
My guess is Obama doesn’t feel comfortable meeting with the military personnel without a chaperon, which is what Gen. Gration was basically supposed to be. They probably figured that without a military adviser there to provide some sort of data base, Obama might have gotten into a situation where a gaffe was possible if any of the wounded soldiers started asking questions.
This really doesn’t bode well for a President Obama meeting one-on-one with any of the less-friendly foreign leaders like Putin, let alone Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. If he constantly has to be “assisted” in any uncomfortable dealings (assuming meeting with Vlad or Mahnoud would be uncomfortable), he’s going to get rolled by those same leaders, just like the leaders of the Democrats’ key special interest groups at home are probably going to roll him if he wins election.
jon1979 on July 29, 2008 at 4:42 PM
its real hard for a puppet to work with out having somebodies hand up its butt to work its mouth
Mojack420 on July 29, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Why didn’t Obama just walk in the front door of Landstuhl Medical Center alone, and get escorted around by the Colonel in charge, or the Command Sergeant Major and spend a bit of quiet time just visiting the troops?
No cameras. No press. Just Obama on a walk through the wards saying hello to individual troops or small groups, actually talking to them, actually listening to them.
A visitor when you are stuck flat on your back in a ward is a good thing. Lita Ford and Elke Sommer and a lot of other notables made it a habit of stopping over at Landstuhl back in the day just to hang out with the troops, no cameras, no press, just walking through the wards saying thank you for serving…and I can remember as a young kid, at the 11th Evac Hospital in Korea, having Raymond Burr [Perry Mason] pop in to my room after I had surgery, just to say hello to a young American kid stuck in a hosptial full of soldiers, after he finished one of his Godzilla films in Japan and took a USO swing through Korea. No big deal for him, But it was one of those lifetime memories for me.
Obama could have done the same for the wounded guys at Landstuhl…easily…had he really wanted to.
The troops themselves would have provided the “press coverage” in e-mails and letters home, or their own photos on facebook or whatever…and Obama could have scored huge points among the military community.
But, no…he balked…had to depend on his “military advisor” for guidance…and has spent the past week trying to parse and reparse his “explanation” for not showing up at a pre-planned visit to the troops.
You can’t tell when a person is exercising tact and good judgement, but you sure as hell can tell when they are not.
coldwarrior on July 29, 2008 at 4:46 PM
Never heard of Maj Gen Gration but his Bio looks impressive. I worked with the AF International Affairs folks so if he was a dipstick I think I would have. I have CERTAINLY heard of The Messiah’s other military advisor, AF Gen (Dufus) McPeak.
Dingbat63 on July 29, 2008 at 4:46 PM
Hmmm..the link to the Bio didn’t show…trying again BIO HERE
Dingbat63 on July 29, 2008 at 4:48 PM
The most plausible explanation is that Obama’s team got word from the military that campaign advisers traveling with him to visit the troops was not allowed as it could be taken as a campaign event. The fact that someone at the hospital brought up the idea of his visit being inappropriate probably caused them to cancel the visit.
Obama was traveling with a Congressional delegation when he visited injured troops (without press) in Iraq. The fact that he was solely with his campaign in Germany coupled with the military’s reluctance to have politics invade the hospital seems to have led Obama (or someone on his team) to scrap the visit.
As the Obama campaign said:
Senator Obama did not want to have a trip to see our wounded warriors perceived as a campaign event when his visit was to show his appreciation for our troops and decided instead not to go.
Yes, he could have gone by himself. But it’s seems as if someone at the hospital expressed concern that his visit could be perceived as a campaign event. So they played it safe and canceled the visit (and HA bloggers, you have to admit, if they did visit and some source at the hospital said they found the visit inappropriate because Obama was on a campaign trip — not with an official US delegation — you would have been all over him for it).
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
If BigO’s so worried about ruffling Gration’s feathers, then why is he letting him be the fall guy for this kerfuffle?
Quisp on July 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Thanks Dale….can i ‘borrow’? Too funny in context.
dustoffmom on July 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Let Obama finish his waffle, huh?
And I thought this whole tour wasn’t supposed to be a “campaign event” in the first place…
JetBoy on July 29, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
This really did not go down well, did it?
If all your listed excuses were true, why did they schedule it in the first place? As explained before, ‘for a long time’.
Sir Napsalot on July 29, 2008 at 4:53 PM
All over him for it??
In many ways a lot of us former “troops” would have looked at Obama taking time away from his busy schedule to hang out with real troops as a postitive.
It goes to judgement and experience. The military is a great unknown wilderness to Obama. It is an arcane subject for him. He is grossly uncomfortable dealing with the military without a plethora of “advisors” telling him what to say and when to say it.
Not exactly the stuff that makes for a good President.
coldwarrior on July 29, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Maybe the New York Times and Obama can go together on a road trip.
moonsbreath on July 29, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Sir Napsalot on July 29, 2008 at 4:53 PM
They scheduled it because they didn’t think it would be inappropriate. Then the day of or the day before someone at the hospital brought up the possibility of the visit being perceived as inappropriate, so they played it safe and scrapped it.
That really is the most plausible explanation (as well as the explanation that Obama has given).
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Tip of the cap to you all. There are a lot of great posts in this thread. It was a pleasure to read through them all.
TheBigOldDog on July 29, 2008 at 5:01 PM
He’s afraid the troops will ask him why he’s friends with a guy who bombed the pentagon.
Mojave Mark on July 29, 2008 at 5:02 PM
His selfish motives were not met by visiting the troops, plain and simple.
desertdweller on July 29, 2008 at 5:05 PM
Nah, Obama’s big head wouldn’t fit under the bus. Most likely, he is thinking to himself, “this is not the New York Times that I thought I knew.”
Kevin71 on July 29, 2008 at 5:06 PM
His selfish motives were not met by visiting the troops, plain and simple.
This seems to be a case of knowing the answer no matter what the question is.
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:07 PM
Once again the old gray lady is on the cutting edge of breaking news. Why hadn’t this question been brought up before?
oakpack on July 29, 2008 at 5:10 PM
People tend to be a tad more polite when they know they’ll be all over the evening news. But without Katie Couric and a dozen cameras in the soldiers’ faces, they just might have told BHO exactly what they think of him.
innominatus on July 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
[Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 4:59 PM]
Yeah, the hospital brought up the possibility that Obama’s convenient interpretation of the rules to end run around the rules were still considered a violation of the rules. So, rather than go by himself Barack decided to go to the gym.
Dusty on July 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Where he got hustled by a German undercover journalist. Poor guy just can’t win.
Quisp on July 29, 2008 at 5:16 PM
innominatus on July 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Obama had visited the troops at least twice in the month prior without any press or cameras.
Dusty on July 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
What are you talking about? What evidence is there that Obama tried to get around the rules? He probably just assumed he could bring members of his campaign team.
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:17 PM
He’s afraid the troops will ask him why he’s friends with a guy who bombed the pentagon. – Mark
Heh, yup, either that or he’s afraid they might say ‘Don’t let my wounds be for nothing.’
Tony737 on July 29, 2008 at 5:18 PM
Probably just assumed? He’s been campaigning for how long? He has been in the Senate for how long? He has had experience in dealing directly with the military for how long?
coldwarrior on July 29, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Money Quote: “perhaps he does not have the experience necessary to serve as commander in chief.”
Bingo. And it wouldn’t help Michelle’s children.
kirkill on July 29, 2008 at 5:21 PM
There he goes again! Always blaming someone else/always a victim.
Brat on July 29, 2008 at 5:26 PM
Most plausible explanation? No.
A plausible explanation? sure.
Obama wants to be CinC. Is it more plausible he would decide not to see the troops to please someone else, or to please himself? Does his campaign not respect him enough that he can’t just say, “This is is something I really want to do”?
Whatever the reasons they decided, their instinct was to hide it from the press, then blame the military and blame McCain.
MayBee on July 29, 2008 at 5:33 PM
He didn’t visit them because he needs cameras present in order to turn them into victims.
Not to worry we know the military hates this effete moron.
elduende on July 29, 2008 at 5:34 PM
their instinct was to hide it from the press
How did you come to this conclusion?
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:17 PM
Yeah, he visited healthy troops in the field. Yay for him. Grievously wounded troops in a hospital – who may have never ended up there if the libs weren’t politicking the war so dreadfully – Obama can’t seem to go in by himself and look them in the eye.
innominatus on July 29, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Obama is a typical liberal parasite living off of the largess that real Amercians and heroes provide in the way of security and safety.
elduende on July 29, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Grievously wounded troops in a hospital – who may have never ended up there if the libs weren’t politicking the war so dreadfully – Obama can’t seem to go in by himself and look them in the eye.
Obama visited Walter Reed about a month ago with no press.
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:44 PM
Tom:
Good Gawd man, if you bend over any further you will be able to kiss your own ass.
Obama found out that he could not take his entourage and canceled the event because it ceased to serve a purpose apparently. The fact that no one at the hospital ever said that they were anything other than happy to have Obama visit sorta kills the blame the military excuse. Nothing is ever this guy’s fault. Everyone is so mean to him, poor baby, even the wounded soldiers are picking on him.
sniff.
Terrye on July 29, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Worst. Campaign. Ever.
These guys honestly did not think there would be any reprecussions to canceling this visit. They thought they had overwhelmed the media with the Nuremberg rally and the adulation of thousands of Aryans. Their lame attempts at CYA after getting called on it are typical of this campaign that is all about the photo-ops and the Messiah stuff, but woefully short on real political skill or policy substance.
rockmom on July 29, 2008 at 5:45 PM
According to Karen Tumulty at Time’s Swampland, they tried to hide the canceled trip from reporters:
MayBee on July 29, 2008 at 5:47 PM
And Tom, that is right. He did go to Walter Reed, so why not take a break from sucking up to Europeans and go visit them in Germany? Well, because there was nothing in it for him is why. The Walter Reed visits are common from Senators, it might look bad if a guy running for president did not make that visit, but he thought he could blow this off and get away with it.
With the help of his fawning fan club.
And here you are…
Terrye on July 29, 2008 at 5:49 PM
For not going to visit the wounded American troops,
the guy is a far worse a-hole than I already perceived.
gary on July 29, 2008 at 5:52 PM
HE DIDN’T BECAUSE HE DIDN’T
Why does this dead horse continue to be beaten?
wtf how many times does he have to explain himself?
Dave Rywall on July 29, 2008 at 5:54 PM
More from Karen Tumulty, at the same link
But it was Der Speigel that first reported it. Could it be that one of the German journos, left off the campaign plane, simply called Landstuhl and asked if Obama was going to visit while in country? Reporting!
MayBee on July 29, 2008 at 5:55 PM
Probably he can stop explaining himself when he actually explains himself, rather than blaming other people.
MayBee on July 29, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Obama: typical liberal parasite.
elduende on July 29, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Is that because he told the press to buzz off while he made an important visit, or is it just that there weren’t any press following him at the time?
innominatus on July 29, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Weak man, weak explanation, weak I tell ya…
d1carter on July 29, 2008 at 5:58 PM
The fact that no one at the hospital ever said that they were anything other than happy to have Obama visit sorta kills the blame the military excuse. Nothing is ever this guy’s fault.
You don’t know what was said. Obviously concerns were raised that the visit could be perceived as political — to the point that members of his campaign team were not going to be allowed to visit the troops with him. Obama chose not to take a chance on having his visit be perceived as a campaign stop — whether he was being overly cautious or not could be debated, but it seems much more plausible than him canceling the visit so he wouldn’t offend his adviser or because he can’t visit troops without “handlers.”
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:58 PM
Is that because he told the press to buzz off while he made an important visit, or is it just that there weren’t any press following him at the time?
There probably were some press around — I don’t think he goes much of anywhere without a reporter or two nearby.
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:59 PM
Campaigning on a US military reservation is proscribed by law.
A US Senator overseas visiting a US military post is perfectly allowable.
Conflate the two and you have a problem. Obama’s handlers conflated the two. Hence the problem.
If Obama wanted to make a private visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, leaving his “posse” across the autobahn on the Ramstein flight line, he could easily have accomplished that visit.
coldwarrior on July 29, 2008 at 6:03 PM
Perceived by whom as a campaign stop?
Why the last minute realization that it might be perceived that way?
MayBee on July 29, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Shipley Writes:
“Obama visited Walter Reed about a month ago with no press.”
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 5:44 PM
O.K. Tom, the question of the moment is: WHY COULDN’T OBAMA VISIT THE IRAQI WOUNDED AT A MILITARY HOSPITAL IN GERMANY????
Answer: His magical mystery tour was all about Obama – and how much ‘Face Time’ he could get from the press. No press allowed, you say? Then why waste time with the troops when I could be playing basketball.
alwyr on July 29, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Command Sergeant Major Craig Layton said it best – “Why Senator Obama felt he needed an adviser with him to visit U.S. troops is unclear, but if Senator Obama isn’t comfortable meeting wounded American troops without his entourage, perhaps he does not have the experience necessary to serve as commander in chief.”
No “perhaps” about it…
Karmi on July 29, 2008 at 6:07 PM
Perceived by whom as a campaign stop?
Well, right-wing bloggers who will attack him for mistakenly dropping an “s” for one.
Why the last minute realization that it might be perceived that way?
A conversation they had with someone at the hospital.
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 6:07 PM
No press allowed, you say?
Obama was never planning on bringing press to the hospital in Germany. See my posts above for further explanation. Not going to repeat myself.
Tom_Shipley on July 29, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Thanks for the link. One of my favorite arguments is coming out in the comments, that McCain goaded Obama into taking the trip so he shouldn’t be so churlish about Obama getting press for it. I’ve run into this in several discussions, and it’s always presented straight up, with no hint of irony that a man who wants to be Commander in Chief had to be (and could be) taunted into going to the countries where the US military is currently engaged.
Quisp on July 29, 2008 at 6:11 PM
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