There are two competing, conservative, anti-Obama smears going on at the same time regarding Barack Obama, his trip last week overseas, and U.S. troops. Both are completely wrong.
The first is the basis of the McCain campaign’s new television ad, which argues that Obama blew off wounded troops to go to the gym, because the Pentagon “wouldn’t allow him to bring cameras.” This is, as we discussed this morning, a blatant and disgusting lie.
The second is an email that’s making the rounds in far-right circles, ostensibly written by a National Guardsman stationed in Afghanistan.
“As the soldiers where [sic] lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn’t say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the general,” the e-mail said.
[Capt. Jeffrey S. Porter at Bagram Airbase] wrote that Obama then went straight to the base’s “Clamshell” or recreation facility to pose for “publicity pictures playing basketball” and “shunned the opportunity to talk to soldiers to thank them for their service. I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States. I just don’t understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-in-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country.”
This email has been widely circulated in right-wing circles, and has been trumpeted by far-right blogs, which not only promoted it widely, but accepted it at face value.
We now know a) that the version of events described in the email never happened; and b) the Guardsman responsible for the email has recanted.
On the first point…
“These comments are inappropriate and factually incorrect,” said Bagram spokeswoman Army Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, who added that such political commentary is barred for uniformed personnel.
Obama didn’t play basketball at Bagram or visit the Clamshell, she said. Home-state troops were invited to meet him, but his arrival was kept secret for security reasons.
“We were a bit delayed … as he took time to shake hands, speak to troops and pose for photographs,” Nielson-Green said.
…and on the second.
An Army officer’s negative e-mail account of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s visit with the troops in Afghanistan that set the blogosphere ablaze prompted Army officials to correct aspects of the e-mail and resulted in a statement from the message’s author that “some of the information that was put out in my e-mail was wrong.” […]
Army Times sent an e-mail to Porter, a Utah Army National Guard member assigned to the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion, asking if he could verify that he wrote the controversial e-mail and requesting an interview.
Porter’s reply declined the interview request, but said:
“I am writing this to ask that you delete my e-mail and not forward it, after checking my sources some of the information that was put out in my e-mail was wrong. This e-mail was meant only for my family. Please respect my wishes and delete the e-mail and if there are any blogs you have my e-mail portrayed on I would ask if you would take it down too.”
All of this has been added to the Obama campaign’s “Fight the Smears” site.
When the email arrives in your inbox from your crazed, right-wing family member, feel free to set the record straight. It may not do any good, but it’s probably good to have the information on hand anyway.