Obama Explains Scrubbed Visit with Wounded Troops in Germany

Just for kicks (and to get back to the actual subject of Jake's article), how many gun owners here would vote for Obama? Anybody? Anybody? Bottom line, Obama will have the AFT knocking on your door to collect your soon to be contraband.

How difficult is it to see that Obama is a sitting senator who can see the troops at any time should he choose? If he goes to the hospital BY HIMSELF and WITHOUT CAMARAS, it cannot be considered a political event. He chose not to do so. Period. End of story.

Also, if he's worried about whether or not his campaign pays the tab for the short drive to the hospital, couldn't he just pay for the trip there himself, or otherwise expense it to the government?? Barak chose not to go, when all he had to do was leave his campaign behind. It's his fault, and he is rightfully criticized for it.

Grahamvarnum:

Why isn't "the right thing" Obama going without the retired general so he could still visit and thank wounded troops in person?

I will write like the outsider I am to these unfolding dramas called Presidential Campaign. My heartfelt pity goes to the supposed supporters of the two great Candidates who are not too intelligent and discerning enough to know what this hullaballoo is all about - Politics. The hearts and minds of the weak will be preyed and sibblings will turn against each other because they belong to opposing camps.
One of the most important things that we should know, which we sheepishly refused to know is that America is not in any war. The Occupation of Iraq was forced on America by a President who was so willing to prey on the ignorance and fear of Americans by selling them bunch of lies which culminated into the quagmire we have on our hands. If a war must be waged in should be in Afghanistan who harbored Osama bin Laden and where the attack on the World Trade Center was hatched. Before the attack of Iraq, Iraq had no link with Al-quaeda.
Reading through some of the comments in this blog has more than ever before strenthened my belief that there are so many American youth that are so ignorant of happenings outside their immediate environment to the extent that anything they read in the blogosphere is considered to be true since they are ignorant of anything contrary. The spate of "cut" and "paste" is on the increase because the internet has been turned into rumour mills where unsubstantiated news items are fed to unsuspecting and ignorant people who serve as eventual Vectors to the outright lies, twisted facts and half-truths.

It appears Mccain's Campaign has realised that Americans have not gotten wiser since 2004 and the same trick is being used to garner supports.

What we hear from Mccain's camp is "Obama said". It appears that the Campaign only waits for Obama to act before they will have things to tell Americans. They remain docile in Obama 's inactivity.
He didn't visit the Troops because he didn't want to politicize the visit. With Mccain knowing how dumb some Americans are, the spinning machine has started grinding and the ignorants are already falling over themselves to be the first to disseminate. "Cut and paste syndrome".

With heightening hostilities in Afghanistan, Home foreclosures, soaring gas price and a depressed economy, I would think a responsible Campaign will tell Americans how he intends to better their lots in the next four years but what do we hear, "Surge, Troops, Bill Ayers, Antoin Rezko, Revd Wright".
It is ridiculous that Americans are being sold on these type of propaganda at this age and time.

Obama took this political hit for the wounded vets. Go ahead and beat him up for it, for doing the right thing for the hospital and the vets and their family's.
What possible political advantage would come from canceling this planned meeting? (That never had press scheduled to go, ask the press corp)
The DOD canceled the planned meeting. The DOD barred a general who had organized the whole trip and wasn't paid staff, saying it would be seen as political.
Obama could have gone and avoided this negative press, but once DOD said that bringing a General would be political he knew his going would be made into a fire storm and that hospital would be swamped with press calls and so could the soldiers or their families.
So those that want to find fault with Obama protecting the wounded vets will find it.
Besides that no one would be in that hospital from the Iraq ware if Obama was listened to in 2008.
God Bless You and God Bless America

I'm beginning to think that John McCain's supporters are as senile as he is. Can you people read? It has been confirmed a bunch of times that Obama had NO intention of bringing the press to the hospital. Hell, even the rightwing Allahpundit recognizes that.

You can debate whether or not Obama should have gone by himself or without General Gratiot. But I think he was being set up by the McCain campaign either way. He goes and McCain accuses him of using the troops as props. He refuses to go, and McCain accuses Obama of ignoring the troops. So he phoned them instead. John McCain, a man with no honor, would have ignored the troops and told them to pay their own hospital bills and stop whining. John McCain has lost all dignity and honor. He will make up anything to get elected.

Jon,
I am just sickened by all the mess of this election. Maybe I am just insane with it all because, I read your post and I can not stop laughing at your analysis of the candidates. Even though this election is not a laughing matter
But,...
That was funny...lol

Jon wrote,

"I more than likely will vote for Barr. I am sickened by the whining of both Obama and McCain. Both are despicable shameless self promoting idiots. Obama has a cult of non-thinkers, and McCain whining about no coverage. The press is hopelessly in the tank for Obama, and McCain is pissed because the press has always been in the tank for him and is acting like a 14 year old girl who doesn't get asked to the prom. Obama plasters posters at the wailing wall, which is about the most shameless thing I've ever heard of, while McCain is so dumb he thinks Iraq and Pakistan share a border.

I'll be voting 3rd party to show disdain for both PARTIES and for both CANDIDATES... who make Bush vs Kerry look like Lincoln vs Jackson, and that a SAD statement."

Can any of the repubs drones tell me why are you backing Mcdummy ? First of all he's uneducated. Graduating in the bottom 1% of his high school class in the 1900's, no college at all, then he old as hell, and where are those missing military records ? He sounds so stupid with that ignorant surge crap. What a pitiful old fool. I can't wait for the debates, President Obama is gonna tear him a new a-hole. Jealous, Jealous, Jealous You repubs are jealous of Obama.. He's Brilliant.. You guys had better come on board soon or you're gonna miss the Obama Bus to victory!!! hahahahaha !!!

I think the main point everyone is not seeing is. 1)This part of his trip was paid solely by his Campaign, ie plane and all expenses were paid for by Obama Presidential Campaign meaning this part of the trip was political in nature.
Even when McCain was told on his overseas trip he could not attend a hospital and other Military installations because that part of the trip was political in nature what did McCain do? He said ok and did not go, get over this non story already.

This campaign is about a metaphor of two movies. George W. Bush as "The Dark Knight" and Barack Obama as "The Distinguihed Gentleman." I suggest you all watch both movies before you vote.

Dark ominous music. In June, McCain apologized for using the image of Gen. David Petraeus in a political mailer, saying that politicization of the military would "not happen again" in his campaign. McCain is not a man of his word. Mccain has resorted to the politicization of the military for his campaign once again. Unlike Obama who cancelled a trip to visit wounded troops in Germany and called them personally instead to keep the troops from being politicised. McCain has chosen to misrepresent facts and go back on his word in order to exploit our troops for politics. Where is your honor John McCain?

With throngs of press around Obama their would be no way he could sneak off and see the troops alone. The MSM would find out and take photo's. Obama could have tried to claim that he did not know he would be found out by the teams of media.. but no one would ever believe that. He did the right thing.

The Rove/Bush WMD war turned the dollar into 50 cents in Euros. McCain's a one trick pony with scammer Tex's Sen Gramm ( 32 billion down the drain, for his client United Bank of Scotland) for his financial advisor. UBS advises its employess not to travel to the US, lest they be arrested for mortgage fraud. That's Gramm's people. That's McCain's advisor, criminals in the mortgage scams.
McCain confesses he does not understand the economy. He confesses he cannot use computers.
How will he govern? WAR!!! That's his one trick.
Say no to eternal war and allow Obama to build up America, and restore our bridges, education system and provide health care for all, yes, ALL. It's ok. Its the Christian thing to do, dont you know?

McCain opposes the Congressional bill to end the right of the CIA to torture 'suspects', which CIA policy is both unconstitutional and against Geneva convention. Vote for Obama. Sen McCain prefers the present laws which allow you readers to be taken in the night and kept forever, tortured and never charged with a crime. Restore the Constitution of the U.S of A. Register, and then vote absentee. Dont trust the computers.

who cares if he visits the injured?

Under any circumstances it would be a meaningless gesture.

And as a candidate for the presidency ANY thing he does automatically has campaign motivation, so the entire conversation is absurd. Whether or not the press would have been with him, any such visit is a campaign event - don't forget, the soldiers he visits are voters, as would be all of the US personnel who are on the support staff of the hospital.

Yep, the free ride for this clown is over. Soon he'll be back to handing out pamphlets for community service projects. That's the only experience he's got. Oh wait, he was born outside CONUS, so that and the 300 foreign policy advisers make him qualified to run a country.

Sorry Obama but the troops deserved a visit from a sitting senator and Democrat Party nominee. You were too quick to surrender that right, guess that workout at the ritz was more inviting...I'm so done with your American with a small 'a' mindset...

Obama showed poor judgement in not going to visit the troops.

If his position is that his staff was handling the issue, then it shows poor leadership on Obamas part.

If Obama will not apologize and admit it was a mistake to not go visit the troops, then we are viewing a character flaw of Obamas.

And for all those who make excuses for Obama on this issue, I suggest you go get another glass of Kool-aid

The wounded vets and the military will remember come election time who DIDN'T visit them while he was making time to get his marathon run in at the gym!

Yeah, so the military wouldn't let Barry use his visit to the wounded vets as a campaign stunt, so B.O. scrapped it. WHAT A GUY!!! Every day, this fraud - oops, sorry about that- this great man gives us more and more reasons to vote for him. I can't wait to push the button, pull the lever, punch the chad, touch the screen, or whatever we have to do, to vote for him. A tingle goes up my leg every time I think about it!!!