Jul 25 2008
Obama Visit Our Wounded Soldiers? Nah, There’s No Commercial In It.
By Virginia H. Shanahan
Der Speigal reported Barack Obama was scheluded to visit wounded U.S. troops Friday while in Germany but he cancelled the visit. Obama strategist Robert Gibbs released a statement that read “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.”
What?
He was just in Iraq and Afghanistan a few days ago. He visited troops, for about 10 minutes, in the support hospital in the Green Zone of Baghdad. That being said, how in the world can it be inappropriate to stop and show your respect for those who have been wounded trying to protect you? Unless of course you are in no way thankful and are using them as nothing more than political propaganda then I do agree that would in fact be inappropriate.
A clue as to the cancellation can be found in this article, which reads “A campaign adviser said the U.S. military saw the visit as a campaign stop.”
What is this nonsense? Why would this matter?
As reported by Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube of MSNBC, “A U.S. military official tells NBC News they were making preparations for Sen. Barack Obama to visit wounded troops at the Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein, Germany on Friday, but “for some reason the visit was called off.”
One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama’s representatives were told, “he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers.” In addition,
“Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama’s visit.”
The official said “We didn’t know why” the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. “He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him.”
Make sense now? Despite the claims of the Obama camp, this entire trip has been one big campaign video. Every moment, every word captured on video and audio in hopes of being of value in the future. Campaign members were permitted in the Iraq visit. No commercial value is guaranteed with the military in control, so why waste time and energy that can be better used on a basketball court or sight seeing?
Good call on the cancellation Obama. You are correct. It would have been inappropriate.
Speaking of campaign commercials, when they use the footage from his speech in Berlin will they be mixing it with his speech from Minnesota as well? (Thank you Marc Ambinder)
Barack Obama in Minnesota on June 3, on winning the Democratic nomination:
“America, this is our moment. This is our time”
Barack Obama in Berlin today:
“People of Berlin — people of the world — this is our moment. This is our time.”
Recycling his own stuff? I am shocked! Shocked I say! Why, i’ve not been this surprised since hearing Elvis died on the toilet. It’s time for Obama to consider getting rid of the 26 year old white boy he has writing his speeches. He’s stolen from everyone he can think of and now must resort to stealing from himself.
