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Pentagon blocked Obama’s access to injured U.S. troops

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I can appreciate the fact that Republicans aren’t quite sure how to criticize Barack Obama’s international travel over the last week. It has, after all, been an usually successful trip, which the McCain campaign practically goaded Obama into taking.

They’ve tried out a few angles, but the attacks have either been foolish, contradictory, or both. Republicans said Obama shouldn’t campaign outside the U.S., but McCain did it first. They said Obama shouldn’t describe himself as a “citizen of the world,” but Reagan used the same line. They said Obama shouldn’t be so popular with people yearning to love America again, but no one’s sure what that actually means.

So, left with literally nothing else, Republicans have turned to an old stand-by: they’re making stuff up.

Obama had planned to visit with injured U.S. troops in Germany before he left the country this week. He scheduled a visit, he wanted to visit, and he arranged for the visit three weeks ago. And suddenly, the meeting was called off, and Obama left the country without having seen the troops.

“A ha!” said the unhinged right. “Obama was blowing off the troops!”

This, not surprisingly, is ridiculous. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell had a good report yesterday knocking this nonsense down.

This was not, in other words, the fault of Obama or his campaign. The Pentagon called the shots, and the Pentagon prevented the visit. Far from snubbing the troops, Obama and his team were reportedly furious about the interference.

Now, as it turns out, some of the confusion started when Obama adviser Robert Gibbs initially announced why the visit had been called off. “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,” Gibbs said on Thursday.

Gibbs, in retrospect, seemed to be taking the high ground — he knew the Pentagon had interfered, but didn’t want to blame the Pentagon for the cancellation.

But his statement was seized upon by the McCain campaign and the far-right in general. The unhinged attacks notwithstanding, the reality remains the same. Gibbs set the record straight yesterday.

Senior strategist Robert Gibbs said the visit to the military hospital in Germany had been in the works for about three weeks, with Gration serving as the campaign’s contact with the Pentagon.

The Pentagon cleared the Obama plan to land at the base on either July 15 or 16, Gibbs said. The plane needed the clearance because of restrictions on landing nonmilitary aircraft there, he said.

But then on Wednesday, Gration told Obama aides that the Pentagon had informed him that the visit could be viewed as a campaign stop.

“They cited a regulation,” Gibbs said of their point of contact, described as legislative affairs in the office of the secretary.

“We believed that based on the information we received that any presence, even his own and only his own, would get into a back and forth on whether his own presence was a campaign event,” Gibbs said.

Obama decided on the flight Wednesday from Tel Aviv to Berlin not to visit the hospital.

Asked why he believed the Pentagon would clear the visit, then raised questions about it, Gibbs declined to speculate: “I don’t know what to make of it.”

Asked whether he thought the Pentagon set up the campaign for a political embarrassment, Gibbs said no.

Greg Sargent added:

[I]t turns out that the Pentagon did in fact tell Obama that in this case, it was not only “inappropriate,” but against DOD rules, for him to conduct the visit with campaign staff.

“We have longstanding Department of Defense policy in regards to political campaigns and elections,” Pentagon spokesperson Elizabeth Hibner told me. “We informed the Obama staff that he was more than welcome to visit as Senator Obama, with Senate staff. However, he could not conduct the visit with campaign staff.”

Another bogus McCain campaign attack to add to the list.

Comments

  • neil wilson

    says:

    I know I am a Republican shrill but one additional point that I heard on Washington Week last night.

    Secretary Rice sent a message to all overseas employees that there was to be ZERO help for Obama from the State Department.

    So, if you or I went to Berlin, we could expect more help that Obama could expect.

  • Mudge

    says:

    From the Googles. Neither candidate “blows off the troops”.

    Obama to visit Walter Reed
    By MIKE ALLEN | 6/27/08 7:43 PM EST

    Obama’s staff is keeping his trip low-key.

    Barack Obama is scheduled to pay a solemn visit to wounded Iraq veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on Saturday, Politico has learned.

    The visit will be Obama’s third.

    Obama’s staff is keeping his trip low-key. It is not on his public schedule, and his campaign would not confirm it. A pool of reporters will go with him, but will not accompany him inside.

    Obama will be in Washington to speak to the annual conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. His opponent for president, John McCain, will also address the group.

    McCain occasionally visits soldiers at Walter Reed on weekends when he is in Washington, most recently May 31.

    McCain’s visits are usually unannounced to the press, and sometimes he shows up without even giving the hospital notice. He tells friends it gives him a sense of peace and feeds his soul.

    Visits with military personnel at Walter Reed are a sad but essential rite for national leaders. President Bush went at least three times last year, and sometimes makes remarks or presents a Purple Heart.

    As Obama prepares to compete for the role of commander in chief, he plans to travel to Iraq next month as part of a congressional delegation. He has also said he will visit Afghanistan before the election.

  • Simon

    says:

    Whoa. Does Andrea Mitchell have a bad cold or something? That actually sounded like credible, balanced reporting. Weird.

  • jen

    says:

    Is the “no campaign staff” rule a new one? It’s my understanding that it’s been in effect for quite some time. I don’t doubt that the administration is doing everything it can to undermine the Obama campaign, but surely someone on Obama’s staff knew about this rule. Someone is experienced, right? Why wasn’t he alerted to a potential problem by his staff?

  • DougEFresh

    says:

    The Pentagon did not block Obama from visiting the troops, they said his campaign staff and campaign photographers where not allowed in. He could have visited the hospital if he did so with his Senate staff or if he went by himself.

    So the unanswered question is why was it so important for campaign flunkies to accompany Obama while he visited injured soldiers.

  • Capt Kirk

    says:

    Meanwhile over at ABC, Stephanopoulos first reported the story basically this way, then says that this is clearly a mistake for Obama, “he should have gone in alone”. The report stated to conflicting explanations, but Stephy simply picked up the Pentagon version as the obvious truth and dismissed the Obama version.

    Of course, he forgets, this is the same Pentagon team that brought us such great documentary as “Jessica Lynch, She-Rambo” and “The Pat Tillman Story”.

  • Charles

    says:

    It isn’t necessary to invoke a top-down conspiracy here. If you know how the military works, you can explain this without any wide-spread ill intent.

    What probably happened was that some low-level campaign flack called the base, and was put in touch with their opposite number, a low-level flunky (probably not even an officer) who, when informed of the trip, said “sure, come ahead.” It is important to understand that the only thing the military really fears is getting in dutch with Congress, so congressional requests are typically granted as a matter of course.

    Only later, when somebody higher up noticed and called attention to the rules, did an issue arise. At which time some low-level flunky on base called back and told the Obama campaign they couldn’t come.

    This was followed, in typical military fashion, by a lot of CYA meant to obscure the fact that, while the officers were off doing important officer things, the actual day-to-day operation of the base was being handled by enlisted personnel.

  • Tom Cleaver

    says:

    Riiiiight, the Pentagon had no thoughtof the politics involved, just like there was no thought of the politics involved when Commander Codpiece staged his little victory party on an aircraft carrier that had to change course so the TV wouldn’t show it crusing off of Point Loma.

  • Kropotkin

    says:

    #4 – The point is that the Pentagon approved the visit 3 weeks ahead of time knowing full well what the trip was all about. They had full details of who was going to visit and why. And they approved. Changing the rules at the last minute is a cheap political trick and not allowing Obama to visit was punishing the troops who were undoubtedly anxious to see him. Your government at work.

  • Lawrence Holland

    says:

    McCain is trying to knock Obama anyway he can, as is the republican party. Geo W should be ashamed of himself, but we all that is impossible. Both McCain and Geo W are sinfully dirty.

  • gorgonette

    says:

    The point is that he was allowed to visit the troops, but chose not to when informed that his campaign staff would not be permitted. The initial statement by his campaign was untrue. Maybe the Pentagon and his staff could have handled this better, but it reflects badly on Obama.

  • Speller

    says:

    It would be nice if the author could spell:

    “Obama shouldn’t describe himself as a “citizen of the word,” but Reagan used the same line.”

    Citizen of the word?

  • Bill Hill

    says:

    My, my, my. . . . Whatever happened to the simple notion that the American military must be POLITCALLY NEUTRAL?

    Folks, the very last thing we Americans should want is a politically partisan military.

    For any administration to twist this basic principle would be a deeply destructive act undermining the U.S. Constitution at its base.

    We Americans cannot permit the military to be used as a partisan political tool by anyone, ever, for any purpose.

    Civil chaos awaits at the other end of that path.

  • Chris C

    says:

    I like “citizen of the word”, as in “one who keeps (his/her) word” and one who defends the right of others to speak (his/her) words privately, if (he/she) so desires. Go ahead and shout it in the heart of Berlin if one so chooses, but be sure to guarantee that right at home, and to show other “citizens” that one means it by upholding the tenets of the Constitution (all of them) without “compromise.”

  • TR

    says:

    Whoa. Does Andrea Mitchell have a bad cold or something? That actually sounded like credible, balanced reporting. Weird.

    That was my reaction too. Maybe even she has limits to her shilling for McCain.

  • Existenz

    says:

    If I was Obama, I’d make a stop at this military base in Germany before flying home to Chicago. Leave the press and staff on the plane and visit the troops himself for two hours.

    The Pentagon screwed this up, and right wingers are gonna use it to attack, so Obama would be wise to diffuse it by making a stopover there before going home.

    That’s what I would advise him to do.

  • Elisabeth

    says:

    Let’ be honest here, I saw Andrea’s report, listened to her, explaining and speculating, on Morning Joe. She didn’t have an official word from the pentagon at the time. I read elsewhere that Obama could have visited the troops as a “senator”. He could have in my opinion left his entourage behind and proceeded with his visit. This article should have been updated as the author learned more information.

  • Hannah

    says:

    Elisabeth, I’m not sure about what you’re saying, BUT if that came from Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, one must automatically question his word. This is the same man who denied that the Pentagon lied about the manner in which Jessica Lynch was rescued (1) and also revved up the January 2008 account of the Iranian boats who were supposedly attacking our ships in the Straight of Hormuz (2).

    1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3043115.stm
    2) http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/9176

    I’ll be so happy when we can “catapult the propaganda”!!!

  • ReallyFedUp

    says:

    If anyone saw the rest of the “Today” show segment that included Mitchell’s almost-neutral report, they would have seen David Gregory ask Rachel Maddow a preposterous question. I don’t have the transcript, but from memory, it went something like this:

    GREGORY: So Obama has made his big international speech, done well with foreign leaders, etc. So now what is the “game-changing” moment for his campaign? What VP pick [the point of this dumb segment] could shake things up?

    MADDOW: [Long pause] I don’t think Obama really wants to shake things up right now…. I think it’s the McCain campaign that needs to shake things up.

    Gregory just simply repeated a line that Obama needs a “game-changing” moment, without even batting an eye that, well, this international trip WAS a game-changing moment. These people are ridiculous. I used to like Gregory, but he is clearly not watching or reading anything that the rest of the world is watching or reading.

  • Hannah

    says:

    #20: How ridiculous a question is that from Gregory (good answer from Maddow of course)??? The meme before Obama went was would he be able to look presidential, not make any gaffes. Well, he did. But that’s not a “game changer”?

  • Maryvonne

    says:

    Not visiting Landstuhl Hospital was a wise decision – after all Obama is still campaigning for the presidency. The visit would have provoked some more whining.

  • alan everson

    says:

    This article is so one sided. It would be nice if all articles contain the writers view point. eg Liberal or consertive, Democratic or Republican

    Obama was not told he as a senator, simply he could not bring campaign staff.

    He would rather speak to the German People instead of American Troops. Very sad indeed.

  • Karpy

    says:

    Nice try, but this article is flat wrong. Obama himself was not denied access to visit the wounded troops. It was Obama’s press, his handlers and media minions that were denied access. This is because the military feels that wounded troops should not be subjected to the cameras and photo-ops of self serving politicians on the campaign trail. If Obama had really wished to spend time with this brave people, he would absolutely been allowed to do so. Instead, in a calculated and cynical move, Obama declined to visit them when there is nothing in it for him. These people mean nothing to him, as they, like most of us, are part of the lesser class and the Great Unwashed masses who are here only to serve his holiness. Also, it is becoming apparent how absurd this man sounds when he does not have a teleprompter in front of him rolling off a speech that some else wrote for him. For a sample, just listen to his incoherent ramblings in response to the simple questions Catie Couric put to him regarding the undeniable success of the Surge. This site can pump out the Kool-Aid faster then Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid can shut down the flow of American Oil, but it aint gonna help.
    It is slowly becoming obvious that this is one scary dude.

  • DanDetroit

    says:

    It is correct for the military to restrict creation of images of a candidate with wounded soldiers as a prop for political photo ops. Our wounded should be treated with the utmost respect for their sacrifice for our freedom. One is left with the impression that Senator Obama is really not interested in a private moment, as only a senator, since he seems to have lost interest in making the visit without his entourage. Despite his current messiah status he is, after all, just a politician out of Chicago.

  • libra

    says:

    This is because the military feels that wounded troops should not be subjected to the cameras and photo-ops of self serving politicians on the campaign trail. — Karpy, @25

    Um… Not *exactly*. If he had done that part of the trip on taxpayers’ dime, calling it a “fact-finding mission” and brought his *Senate* staff, they’d have been let in, cameras and all. Of course, then, McCain (and you) would be bitchin’ about spending taxpayers’ money on a dog and pony show (and you’d have, probably, been right, at that).

    As things are, there are conflicting reports about whether he’d have even been allowed to land his campaign plane at the base. But, I’m sure, your answer to that would have been that he should have walked, from Berlin, preferably on his knees, to atone for never having been a POW in Vietnam.

  • Karin

    says:

    This was all calculated by the Pentagon. Stop Obama from visiting the troops, then let McCain attack him for not doing so.
    OMG American politics is filthy!

  • Chris

    says:

    Obama was in a no win situation with this. The McCain campaign is such a joke. I hope America is smarter then they were in 2000 and 2004.

  • Beverly Tatum

    says:

    McCain the McSame would have criticized Obama if he had gone to the troops In Germany too because he is reeling from the overwhelming success of Obama’s overseas tour. If McCain had gone to Berlin to speak, no one would have shown up. McCain has nothing to say and nothing to offer so all he has left to do is attack Obama. McCain is a sad, incompetent and out-of-touch candidate. He said he felt “left out” with Obama overseas. If so, maybe he will now know how left out and abandoned the American people have felt under this Republican administration. Keep moving forward Obama. McCain can’t keep up and all he is capable of doing is whining. It’s very old now and very annoying.

  • caliguy55

    says:

    This is the typical negative campaigning one sees for the side of a campaign that is losing and knows it’s losing. McSame knows he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hades of being elected the next President of the United States. So, he has adopted the tactics of Karl Rove, one of the slimiest political operatives ever seen on the national stage. Obama’s visit to the army hospital would have caused a ruckus no matter the capacity in which he made the visit. This is because he is a Presidential Candidate and as such is surrounded by an army of Secret Service Agents at all times. If I were a recovering serviceman or woman in a military hospital, I surely would not want a Presidential Candidate to visit me surrounded by this army of Secret Service Agents. McSame is very desperate, and it’s showing loud and clear.

  • leonard

    says:

    One more time, McCain is trying (desperately) to make himself relevant. He is absolutely pathetic. I imagine the Republican party is chagrined that this idiot is representing their party. I guess it is payback for Gore and Kerry.

    The Pentagon would not allow Obama to visit the base and the troops. Is it possible Bush and Cheney had any involvement?

    McCain is not only pathetic, but is unpatriotic. He will do anything or say anything for his own personal advantage. I would never vote for someone who called his own wife an trollop and worse (in front of the media). How did this not get reported by MSM?

    McCain is a complete phony and dangerous.

  • montymoose

    says:

    Since i cannot leave my comment with out my name and email… I will not be able to tell you an inside comment……enough said it was all political and those who are talking about this the most know the truth!

  • fred

    says:

    On July 26th, 2008 at 10:59 pm, Chris said:

    Obama was in a no win situation with this. The McCain campaign is such a joke. I hope America is smarter then they were in 2000 and 2004.

    One can never overestimate the gullibility of the voting public.

  • AmeriWoman

    says:

    Make up yoir own mind about why Obama did not visit the troops.
    Here is a copy paste of what the White house sent:

    Pentagon released this letter today from the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and REadiness, David Chu, that explained the guidelines for Obama’s potential visit. It was sent, the Pentagon said, to commanders at EUCOM (European Command) and top officials at Landstuhl.

    The guidelines were listed as:

    1. You can land at Landstuhl and any/all media can cover your arrival and departure.

    2. You will only be allowed at the Hospital with ONE SENATE staffer and appropriate security.

    3. The only media allowed to follow into the hospital would be a military still photographer. The photographer would have potentially shot pictures of Obama with hospital staffers, members of the military and any patients that would want to participate.

  • Charles Queen

    says:

    I think theres more to it than the pentagon.I believe that his campaign people also interfered in the visits.Obama had trouble with tv interviews while overseas struggleing to explain why he thought that Bush’s troop surge in Iraq was a mistake even though he praises it’s results.General Petraeus is still fighting Obamas plans on withdrawing all American forces out of Iraq within 16 months after being in office.He has the support of foreign leaders but then that raises the risk that he will accomodate his position to their view point which is wrong.The more support a candidate inspires abroad,the less Americans can trust him to defend their own natinal interes.He wants to send the troops into Afghanastan whichis a tragedy in the making.Our soldier are not that well trained to fight in that type of geography the deaths will surpass that og Iraqs

  • rex

    says:

    Let me get this right.
    McCain is saying that it is OK to use American wounded for political props. Lord knows he has used his enough. Maybe McCain should actually start talking about what he would do a president instead of the typical BUSH attack campaigning

  • NC

    says:

    Hum… lets get to the bottom of this.

    quote: ”
    Senior Obama adviser Robert Gibbs said Friday that retired Major Gen. Scott Gration, a policy adviser to the campaign, received a call from Pentagon officials earlier in the week expressing concerns about the trip — specifically because Obama was heading there on his campaign plane and campaign staff members would be accompanying him on the visit.”

    first the Obama team said that the global travel is not a campaign trick. if its not a campaign trick, why won’t Obama visit the injured troops himself without the rest of his team? Obama had his chance, and he really showing Americans what his trips are about.

  • Fritz Johnson

    says:

    I’ve never served in the military but I know many people who have and I have the deepest respect for them.
    They follow procedures and systems but they are also very well trained and capable of making decisions on the fly when necessary in order to achieve a higher goal. That’s how we win wars.
    I can speculate that when the visit was originally scheduled the Pentagon looked at the proposed Obama visit as a mostly harmless visit by a Senator who has ambitions of being President.
    I can also guess that once the good folks at the Pentagon got the drift of the Obama love fest that was going on in the media they made a decision to pop the balloon in an effort to ensure that Obama’s visit with the injured troops didn’t end up as the lead story on the evening news with heroic U.S. soldiers being used as political pawns. Good work Pentagon!
    If Obama wants to prove to the citizens of the United States and the members of our armed forces that he is capable of assuming the mantle of Commander and Chief maybe he should start by telling us about even one instance where he truly and completely risked loosing everything he had achieved, everything he owned and everyone he loved in order to defend a principle – some core belief. That’s what our soldiers do every day.
    Hey, Obama community building is a very laudable effort. Congratulations. You did some really spiffy things.
    I also appreciate that as a kid you had a rough go of things and you did pretty well for yourself. That’s actually not very unique here in the United States, that’s why this country is so special and precious and why so many people form other countries want to get in.
    Let me ask you this though; were your kids ever at risk of going hungry or growing up without you because of the risks you took to advance your ideals?
    Talk to some military families or even some small business owners who have risked these things in order to create and secure the welfare of future generations. Talk to them about sacrifice then get back to us and tell us how your experience compares to theirs.
    Show us how your actions are a measure of your worth. Then, and only then, can we begin to understand how qualified you are to be Commander and Chief of the most powerful military and the largest economy the world has ever known.

  • K.Gunter

    says:

    The Air Force Times recently interviewed Senator Obama. He said he would have to earn the American Military’s trust. He visitied many European citys here but did not take the time to come to the KMC. He was not allowed on Landstuhl. Why? Many officials come here. Hiliary Clinton has been here. If he was not allowed on the post, there were plenty of other venues he could have taken. The KMC has the largest population of Americans outside the U.S. He could have insured alot of votes if he had stopped in K-Town.

  • Andrew Austin

    says:

    US military authorities did not tell Obama and his senate staff that they could not visit wounded military personnel at the Lanstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. They told Obama that he could not bring press or campaign staff. When he learned of the restrictions, Obama canceled the scheduled visit.

    There is a military directive that states that any activities reasonably viewed as directly or indirectly associating the Defense Department with a partisan political activity are to be avoided. However, the military emphasized that it would accommodate Obama’s traveling press and campaign staff at the passenger terminal at Ramstein Air Base, as well as Obama and his Senate staff visit to the hospital.

    So the truth comes out. Obama wanted a photo op with wounded troops for campaign ads. The military wasn’t biting. They do not allow the troops to be politicized in this way. So when Obama couldn’t get his way, he bailed. It wasn’t the wounded military personnel he cared about. True to form, it was Obama that Obama cared about.

  • Mary Hall

    says:

    Obama does nothing that does not further Obama. He is a shameful excuse for a presidential candidate who, very unfortunately, the liberal groupies out there adore. As the mother of a serviceman preparing for upcoming deployment to Iraq I am terribly offended by his snub of wounded Soldiers and Marines, made because he was not allowed to get his photo-op. God help us if he is elected.

  • JAQUEBAUER

    says:

    OBAMA, OBAMA, OH WHERE IS YO MAMA.
    CRY LIKE A LITTLE MAN, POUT LIKE A SPOILED BRAT.
    WHEN I SEE YOUR ADS ON TV, I WATCH AN EPISODE OF AMOS N ANDY…WHY ?

    BECAUSE KINGFISH HAS MORE SENSE THAN YOU..AND WOULD MAKE A BETTER PRESIDENT.

    GO BACK TO ILLINOIS AND DO NOTHING AS BEFORE, AND DONT COME BACK NO MO NO MO

  • Ethan Quern

    says:

    This is unbelieavable! For the fault of the unvisit to be the Pentagon (no doubt with a nudge from State) and for McCain and his staff to – no less create campaign ads – about the fact he didn’t visit is simply beyond belief.

    How any caring, thinking, patriotic American could even remotely PONDER the idea of voting for McCain or any of the other Republithugs, is simply beyond belief.

    Beyond belief.

  • Ethan Quern

    says:

    Oh High and Mighty Right-Wing. If you think the Pentagon didn’t intentionally interfere and prevent Obama from a CREDIBLE visit, you are nuts.

    The same Bush that jumped up and down like a 10year old when he heard that Obama was about to speak at the Brandenburg Gate was going to let Obama visit with the troops in Germany?

    If you think there weren’t hijinx and misdemeanors…

    It’s time to come out of the cabbage patch looking for babies…I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

  • Mary Hall

    says:

    Ahhh…the same right-wing conspiracy that is to blame for every Obama blunder. I knew it. Liberals, your paranoia is showing badly. Your boy made a mistake. It happens. He is human even though that is very hard for you to accept. He wanted the press, the picture of his caring face while shaking a wounded soldier’s hand. No pictures allowed…no visit. Can’t blame the guy. He is, after all, a politician…what a shock.

  • Fred Zinowitcz

    says:

    I would have voted for McCain in 2000, had he won the nomination. Clearly, he is not the same man now that he was then. Judging by what he has said and done recently, I believe we have to question the state of his mind. Is he really qualified to be the President? I no longer think so. He should just quietly go away.

  • JS

    says:

    The White House and McCain have been trying to sabotage Obama’s trip since it started. First they goad him into going, thinking he cannot get support from foreign leaders, that failed, then they stop his speech at the Bandenburg Gate, because they think that would be a positive for him, they told civilian american employees they were not to go to his speech, they also told overseas embassy’s not to give him any assistance, the they tried to stop his visit to see the troops at Lanstuhl, informing no less than a general travelling with Obama that the visit was not appropriate. You can be sure that if he had visited the troops they would have bashed him for using the troops politically.As the wife of a veteran I can tell you you that McCain has a 20% approval from veterans groups for his support of them, Obama 80%. McCain has a record of voting against veterans. This can easily be checked.

  • Mary Hall

    says:

    Obama boarded that plane to Europe of his own free will. As a mother of a Marine bound for Iraq I can tell you that the majority of Marines at least distrust him immensely.

    He should have visited the troops. He could have visited the troops without an entourage. He blew it. He is now dancing around his gaffe. He is so predicable.

  • Harold Greenberg

    says:

    No blame for the ‘pubs on this one, in spite of the comments made in this article.

    You think Obama and his staff didn’t know the rules of visitation?

    They chose to make the whole trip about his campaign and not about him being a senator. Guess what folks? All those adoring Berliners, et al can’t cast one legitimate vote next November.

    Nice try, Mr. Benen.

  • Charles

    says:

    I see we’ve had an influx of low-information voters here.

    “McCain opposed a bill to let veterans receive a quality education, and didn’t vote for for it, while Obama supported it, and voted for it? McCain’s got this military worshipper’s vote!”

    “Obama didn’t reshuffle his 8-day, 8-country whirlwind trip, where every step was choreographed, to make a trip to a hospital and visit some wounded soldiers? He doesn’t deserve to be president!”

  • fred

    says:

    49.
    “On July 27th, 2008 at 5:18 am, Ethan Quern said:

    “This is unbelieavable! For the fault of the unvisit to be the Pentagon (no doubt with a nudge from State) and for McCain and his staff to – no less create campaign ads – about the fact he didn’t visit is simply beyond belief.

    How any caring, thinking, patriotic American could even remotely PONDER the idea of voting for McCain or any of the other Republithugs, is simply beyond belief.

    Beyond belief.”

    Believe.

  • korkie

    says:

    The Pentagon’s message, arriving the day before the trip to the hospital was pure politics.

    The gall of this administration effort to sabotage Obama trip at the last minute is typical of a party running scared.

    They just had to find a btye McSmear could use to create a negative comment.
    It’s just pathetic.

  • fred

    says:

    Hussein Obama knows that one can never, ever overestimate the ignorance and gullibility of the public.
    His appeal with younger voters is easy to explain – they are the ones that don’t know how to find America on a World map, don’t know where Iran is, don’t know why the Civil War was fought, don’t know when WW II was fought, don’t know who won that war, don’t know how to add, subtract, multiply, or divide without a calculator, don’t know which ocean is the Pacific, etc.

    But, in their defense, they DO know the names of at least two members of the Simpson family.

    This is the audacity of the dope.

  • Jumpinjarhead

    says:

    I continue to be amazed at the ignorance of so many who immediately attribute evil motives and grand conspiracies to the military authorities in this case in order to support their anti Bush (now McCain) vitriol. I am immediately suspect of course because not only do I deign to challenge the truth of their accusations, but as as retired Marine officer I have to be a part of the conspiracy as well. If these “experts” will do even a minimal amount of research through open source publications of DoD and the Dept. of the Army they will find regulations that long pre-date Mr. Obama’s visit and that make it clear that any political photo op with injured warriors is verboten, no matter which politician is involved. Before you respond that the evil Bush has visited injured troops, may I remind you that whether you like it or not he is the Commander in Chief. Such visits have been a practice of all presidents.

  • cutter

    says:

    Frankly, the author of this blob,and Obama’s campaign are falsley implying that Military personel refused him admitance. They did not. They did refuse his campaign staff admitance as required by the guidelines quoted above. Obama decline to visit when told of this. That was his decision, not the Military’s. Most of the “reporting” you see on blogs is just a decentralized “spin” factory. I’ve noticed that CNN and Moveon.org use a tactic where they invite thier audiance to write in. They then select the most biased and insulting comments and broadcast them. They encourage their viewers to repeat the comments to others. In this manner, CNN and Moveon.org are able to spread lies at will and still not be held accountable for their falsehoods. Unfortunately, most people will believe what they want to believe regardless of the facts. Nowdays, the media’s main goal is to spin the truth to support whatever their agenda is.