McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (Full Version)

All Forums >> [General] >> Current Events >> Election 2008



Message

henny -> McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 9:25:25 AM)

The Washington Post has the following story on the McCain camp's attack ad on Obama's cancelation of his Germany visitation to the troops:

quote:

For four days, Sen. John McCain and his allies have accused Sen. Barack Obama of snubbing wounded soldiers by canceling a visit to a military hospital because he could not take reporters with him, despite no evidence that the charge is true.

The attacks are part of a newly aggressive McCain operation whose aim is to portray the Democratic presidential candidate as a craven politician more interested in his image than in ailing soldiers, a senior McCain adviser said. They come despite repeated pledges by the Republican that he will never question his rival's patriotism.

The essence of McCain's allegation is that Obama planned to take a media entourage, including television cameras, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany during his week-long foreign trip, and that he canceled the visit when he learned he could not do so. "I know that, according to reports, that he wanted to bring media people and cameras and his campaign staffers," McCain said Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

The Obama campaign has denied that was the reason he called off the visit. In fact, there is no evidence that he planned to take anyone to the American hospital other than a military adviser, whose status as a campaign staff member sparked last-minute concern among Pentagon officials that the visit would be an improper political event.

"Absolutely, unequivocally wrong," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said in an e-mail after McCain's comments to Larry King.

Despite serious and repeated queries about the charge over several days, McCain and his allies continued yesterday to question Obama's patriotism by focusing attention on the canceled hospital visit.

McCain's campaign released a statement from retired Sgt. Maj. Craig Layton, who worked as a commander at the hospital, who said: "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."

McCain's advisers said they do not intend to back down from the charge, believing it an effective way to create a "narrative" about what they say is Obama's indifference toward the military.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said again yesterday that the Republican's version of events is correct, and that Obama canceled the visit because he was not allowed to take reporters and cameras into the hospital.

"It is safe to say that, according to press reports, Barack Obama avoided, skipped, canceled the visit because of those reasons," he said. "We're not making a leap here."

Asked repeatedly for the "reports," Bounds provided three examples, none of which alleged that Obama had wanted to take members of the media to the hospital.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072902286_pf.html

Obama visted wounded troops in Iraq and Afghanastan, and did not bring media with him either of those times, so I'm not sure why he would bring media with him in Germany.


But even more telling, an official blogger for McCain's website now admits that the accusation that Obama canceled the trip because he couldn't bring the media with him (an accusation McCain makes in the ad) is false:

"It does now seem that Barack Obama snubbed the troops for reasons other than a lack of photo-op potential, but the initial reports were less clear."

http://www.johnmccain.com/McCainReport/Read.aspx?guid=85b6e120-412c-41bd-84e4-f6e898065a19&rating=1

So they are blaming the media for the incorrect nature of the ad, but I wonder if they will offer a retraction of any sort (yeah, I know, not a chance).



henny -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 9:38:50 AM)

Here's the factcheck.org article on the ad:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/snubbing_wounded_troops.html

And the one on the ludicrous "Obama = Britney Spears" ad McCain has been running:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obamas_celebrity_cred.html



cow451 -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 10:29:49 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: henny

Here's the factcheck.org article on the ad:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/snubbing_wounded_troops.html

And the one on the ludicrous "Obama = Britney Spears" ad McCain has been running:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obamas_celebrity_cred.html


I've been disappointed at the McCain campaign's media efforts. He won't beat Obummer by going negative with things that are sooooooo easily discounted. Plus, Obummer has that Teflon-type coating that Sir Ronald Reagan had. McCain has to sell himself as something more than "NotObama".



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 1:58:20 PM)

quote:

He won't beat Obummer by going negative with things that are sooooooo easily discounted.


Unfortunately, many people have a way of taking political rhetoric on faith, and never bothering to ask if it's backed up by pesky details like facts.

See: Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity's brain-dead minions.



henny -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 5:22:11 PM)

The people who ran Bush's 2004 campaign have taken over for McCain, which I think is why McCain has been coming on strong in the past couple weeks with the personal attacks and smears. The messages they've been putting out the past few days have been nothing positive about McCain, but rather just petty nitpicking things aimed at questioning Obama's patriotism and making people scared of Obama. It's the Bush play book all over again.

And the sad thing is, that these sorts of attacks seem to work much better than just discussing the issues in a civil manner. So it's definitely "smart" for McCain if you take an "ends justify the means" approach to politics, but I think McCain has now officially sold his soul to everything that he once stood against. The McCain that ran in 2000 and fell victim to the Bush smear machine, the McCain that I used to respect and admire, is dead (if he ever existed at all). The Britney Spears ad, I think, represents a whole new low in petty partisan campaigning. It really says nothing about either McCain or Obama, and it has all the intellectual substance and maturity of a school yard taunt. But I guess that's what people respond to? I actually was naive enough to think that this election cycle might be a bit different given McCain's background, but I guess I was wrong.

Anyways, I don't think the Obama camp is adequately responding to the criticisms. They are taking the "high ground" hoping that their absurdity will be enough to negate them on their own. Which would work ideally, but the more I follow politics the less faith I have in people in general, so if the Obama campaign doesn't fight back harder and put McCain on the defensive, I think he'll lose. Sadly, I think if Obama wants to win he's going to have to get down on the floor, shove his snout in the feces, and squeal and grunt with the rest of the pigs.

Anyways, if I sound bitter and hopeless, perhaps I just need a break from paying attention to politics.

I can't follow it anymore without getting depressed.

And just think, there's 4 whole months left to go! [:D]



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 5:31:57 PM)

quote:

Anyways, I don't think the Obama camp is adequately responding to the criticisms. They are taking the "high ground" hoping that their absurdity will be enough to negate them on their own.


Which was really Kerry's downfall in 2004.

The biggest reason the Swift Boaters were so effective against him was that Kerry utterly failed to refute their lies, which Fox "News" was only too happy to provide nightly airtime for to blast into the echo chamber.

But I'm not entirely convinced that McCain's new agressive posture won't backfire on him, especially when he's made a career by claiming to be above such ugly rhetoric.

If he goes down a road of slime, indie and moderate voters McCain claims to want so badly may begin to drift away from him en masse.



inthysite -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 7:11:29 PM)

quote:

Anyways, I don't think the Obama camp is adequately responding to the criticisms. They are taking the "high ground" hoping that their absurdity will be enough to negate them on their own.


While probably not the best way to go, the McCain ad is just pointing out that NObama is nothing but a pop icon with empty rhetoric.

But saying that NObama is taking the high ground, come on lets be honest here. His response was nothing but calling McCain a racists. Once again, if you say anything against NObama it isn't because you disagree with him, you question his integrity, his character, no it's because your a racist.

Nobody [ed: nobody?] thinks that Bush and McCain have a real answer to the challenges we face. So what they're going to try to do is make you scared of me. You know, 'he's not patriotic enough, he's got a funny name,' you know, 'he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."

This is very similiar, almost exactly like a statement he made a month ago:

The choice is clear. Most of all we can choose between hope and fear. It is going to be very difficult for Republicans to run on their stewardship of the economy or their outstanding foreign policy. We know what kind of campaign they're going to run. They're going to try to make you afraid. They're going to try to make you afraid of me. He's young and inexperienced and he's got a funny name. And did I mention he's black?



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 7:19:20 PM)

Are you suggesting Obama's political opponents haven't been riding a whisper campaign that he's a "secret Muslim" all summer long - not to mention ginning up dime-novel horror stories about what may happen if he's elected?

Plus, you can't tell me that some out there have no intention of voting for Obama strictly because he's black.

I'm not saying that's the motive of all who support McCain, and/or reject Obama's politics, but you can't tell me that race is a non-factor in this election. Heck, it was used (with ugly effect) against McCain himself in 2000 with that "he fathered a black baby" story floated by Karl Rove in SC during the primary season.



inthysite -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 7:30:20 PM)

No I'm not saying that there aren't people who won't vote for NObama because he is black. I'm sure there are quite a few.

But what does that have to do with these ads that McCain is running? Why is NObama bringing up the subject of race when McCain hasn't brought it up once? As a matter of fact, as far as the media is concerned NObama is the only one who continues to bring up race.

Like I said, anytime you question anything about NObama he plays the race card.



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 7:50:23 PM)

quote:

But what does that have to do with these ads that McCain is running?


Because Obama is right: McCain's camp is playing on voter fears and uncertainty about Obama.

quote:

Like I said, anytime you question anything about NObama he plays the race card.


Anytime?

So I assume you have a catalog of the thousands of times Obama has done so? Besides, you just said yourself that many voters will likely base their ballots based on race.

So why is Obama hinting at that wrong? It's true.

It's true that Obama doesn't resemble the guys on dollar bills, as it is that so much fear-mongering on the blogosphere has been made of his horrifying middle name, the idiotic theme being that Obama is a closet terrorist.



henny -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 7:51:11 PM)

LOL

A GOP strategist is now reporting that the McCain camp had prepared two seperate scripts in advance to Obama's cancellation of his visit to the troops.

One criticizing him if he didn't go, and another criticizing him for politicizing the troops if he did go:

quote:

What the McCain campaign doesn’t want people to know, according to one GOP strategist I spoke with over the weekend, is that they had an ad script ready to go if Obama had visited the wounded troops saying that Obama was...wait for it...using wounded troops as campaign props. So, no matter which way Obama turned, McCain had an Obama bashing ad ready to launch. I guess that’s political hardball. But another word for it is the one word that most politicians are loathe to use about their opponents—a lie.


http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2008/07/the_new_normal.html

If true, this is absolutely disgusting, and it exposes McCain as entirely hypocritical on the issue.

He was intent on using the troops as political pawns to score points against Obama, with an attack ad preprepared, regardless of whether Obama had visited them or not.

That's low.



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 8:00:05 PM)

quote:

A GOP strategist is now reporting that the McCain camp had prepared two seperate scripts in advance to Obama's cancellation of his visit to the troops. One criticizing him if he didn't go, and another criticizing him for politicizing the troops if he did go


I'm shocked.

I don't blame McCain for playing political hardball - but his camp has grown so desperate to present any possible ammo (real or imagined) of Obama being an anti-American Attilla The Hun that's it's become quite entertaining.



henny -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 8:44:52 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: todd_t

quote:

A GOP strategist is now reporting that the McCain camp had prepared two seperate scripts in advance to Obama's cancellation of his visit to the troops. One criticizing him if he didn't go, and another criticizing him for politicizing the troops if he did go


I'm shocked.

I don't blame McCain for playing political hardball - but his camp has grown so desperate to present any possible ammo (real or imagined) of Obama being an anti-American Attilla The Hun that's it's become quite entertaining.


The depressing thing about it, though, is that it works.

The McCain camp has settled into the same strategy that the Bush camp took in 2004. Which is basically, put out a smear, let it circulate for a couple days, then quickly move on to the next smear before the media has time to gauge the truth or falsity of the claims.

So even though their attack ad in which they claimed Obama didn't visit the troops because he couldn't bring media with him turned out to be an outright fabrication, and even though their Britney ad is riddled with errors, it really doesn't matter. Their accusations had the headlines for a couple days, and now that the media has caught on to its falsity, the McCain camp has already moved on to a new attack: i.e. that Obama is playing the race card. This will get the headlines for the next couple of days, before they move on to the next one. The truth or falseness of any claim is really irrelevant, just because the media and the American people have an incredibly short attention span. By the time an attack is exposed as erroneous everyone has already moved on to the next thing.

Unless the Obama camp starts hitting back preemptively, they will be caught in the rut of forever being on the defensive, responding to criticisms, with their responses buried in the body of the article bearing the McCain camp's attack as its title. The genius thing about this Rovian brand of politics is that regardless of if the attacks are true or not, it allows the McCain camp to determine what issues will be discussed and when, forcing Obama to follow their lead.



inthysite -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 9:06:59 PM)

Nice to see the ol' double standard is still alive and kicking.

The media quotes an unnamed source smearing McCain and the assumption is automatically that it must be true. First you say "if it's true...", then you continue on as if it is true.

Had this been a statement about NObama you would want facts not just smear. But since it's about McCain, hey it must be true.

Not to mention if you read the article the guy is definitely pro NObama. No there's no bias there, yeah right.

Oh and the source, a GOP strategist! All the media stations have either GOP or DNC strategists on all the time and they have no more clue about what is going in inside these campaigns than your or I do. They are not affiliated with the campaigns. He doesn't say his source was a campaign insider so for all we know this is just this guys opinion about what is going on.

So as you always say, back it up with facts no inuendo!

quote:

It's true that Obama doesn't resemble the guys on dollar bills, as it is that so much fear-mongering on the blogosphere has been made of his horrifying middle name, the idiotic theme being that Obama is a closet terrorist.


Well if you want to look at the entire blogosphere I believe you will find an equal amount of horrifying, idiotic, over the line insults on both sides. Just like you find on may forums, neither campaign can control that nor should they be expected to denounce every single idiot out there.

quote:

Besides, you just said yourself that many voters will likely base their ballots based on race.


Yes, because this world is full of racists, on both sides of the color spectrum I might add, I don't deny that. You could go an entire campaign and not bring up the subject of race and there would still be some idiots who wouldn't vote for NObama because he's black. They would see that by watching TV.

And again, I ask you to show me where and when the McCain campaign or anyone directly connected or associated with him has used race against NObama. You won't find it.

So then why does NObama insinuate that McCain is trying to make people afraid of him because he is black? If he wants to say McCain is using fear tactics about his inexperience or his patriotism then fine, but why bring race into it?



henny -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 10:06:10 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: inthysite

Nice to see the ol' double standard is still alive and kicking.

The media quotes an unnamed source smearing McCain and the assumption is automatically that it must be true. First you say "if it's true...", then you continue on as if it is true.

Had this been a statement about NObama you would want facts not just smear. But since it's about McCain, hey it must be true.

Not to mention if you read the article the guy is definitely pro NObama. No there's no bias there, yeah right.

Oh and the source, a GOP strategist! All the media stations have either GOP or DNC strategists on all the time and they have no more clue about what is going in inside these campaigns than your or I do. They are not affiliated with the campaigns. He doesn't say his source was a campaign insider so for all we know this is just this guys opinion about what is going on.

So as you always say, back it up with facts no inuendo!



You are right that it should be taken with a grain of salt, which is why I added the "a gop strategist is now reporting" and the "...if this is true" qualifier. It is just business week that's reporting it, so I guess you can take it how you will, as we only have Business Week's word on it. CNN mentioned it as well in an interview with the new McCain, Ex Bush strategist, and the McCain camp of course denied it. So, I agree it should be viewed as what it is: a claim made by one source only. I hope other media outlets look into it, but I doubt they will, as it's already yesterday's news.

But I would like to hear your thoughts on the topic of the OP, if you want to offer them.



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 10:13:14 PM)

quote:

The genius thing about this Rovian brand of politics is that regardless of if the attacks are true or not, it allows the McCain camp to determine what issues will be discussed and when, forcing Obama to follow their lead.


Yes, but the problem is that going negative early and often for McCain is a double-edged sword. While such rhetoric may fire up his base with red meat (lacking as it is in fiber), McCain risks alienating voters from the center who once saw him as the "maverick," but now see him as an angry old man who can do little but grouse about his opponent.

In short, I think the negative route may help McCain's poll ratings in the short-term, but with 96 days left until Election Day he'll have to demonstrate how his platform can do more than accuse Obama of being everything short of a Columbian drug lord.

However, win or lose this November, time is on Obama's side. He is 47 and probably has a long political career ahead of him, whereas McCain is 72 and much closer to the end of his political life than the beginning. McCain's bouts with cancer are also an issue; he just had another mole removed from his face. I, for one, also have serious concerns that McCain can survive his first term (if elected), as I do his ability to carry out a second term at age 76.

Many people cite Reagan as an effective older president, but recall that he began to experience symptoms of Alzheimer's in his final two years in office. And you can't tell me it had no impact on Reagan's ability to govern.

So again, if Obama does fall short this go-around for the White House, I think it may just be a matter of time before he gets in on another cycle.

Time is on his side.



rhippie -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 10:25:10 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: todd_t

Are you suggesting Obama's political opponents haven't been riding a whisper campaign that he's a "secret Muslim" all summer long - not to mention ginning up dime-novel horror stories about what may happen if he's elected?


Where's the proof or is this just typical political slander?
quote:

ORIGINAL: todd_t
Plus, you can't tell me that some out there have no intention of voting for Obama strictly because he's black.
I'm not saying that's the motive of all who support McCain, and/or reject Obama's politics, but you can't tell me that race is a non-factor in this election. Heck, it was used (with ugly effect) against McCain himself in 2000 with that "he fathered a black baby" story floated by Karl Rove in SC during the primary season.


And you can't tell me that there are some folks that will vote for Obama simply because he is black; or that won't vote fopr McCain simply because he is white



rhippie -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 10:27:46 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: todd_t


It's true that Obama doesn't resemble the guys on dollar bills


And neither does anyone else! When's the last time you saw some green dude walking around?



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 10:42:40 PM)

quote:

Where's the proof or is this just typical political slander?


It's called an echo chamber. Right-wing radio uses it all the time.

quote:

And you can't tell me that there are some folks that will vote for Obama simply because he is black; or that won't vote for McCain simply because he is white


So two wrongs make a right?



inthysite -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (7/31/2008 11:32:16 PM)

quote:

But I would like to hear your thoughts on the topic of the OP, if you want to offer them.


While it is true that there is no "direct evidence" of NObama's intentions I think we can get an adequate picture by connecting the dots.

When the story first broke NObama claimed that the Pentagon told him he couldn't come because it would be a campaign event.

Then the Pentagon issued a statement denying NObama's claim saying that they never told NObama that he couldn't come, only that he couldn't bring his campaign staff nor could he bring reporters or photographers.

Next NObama says that they made the decision not to go because the trip would be financed by the campaign and it wouldn't be appropriate to use campaign funding for a personal visit.

Finally NObama states that they decided not to go because they didn't want any kind of impression that it would be a campaign event. Later he said that they never intended on bringing photographers, reporters or the campaign staff, only his campaign adviser, which is in conflict with the regulations that have been in place and are applicable to all political candidates.

NObama, as usual, gave 3 different accounts of what happened. The Pentagon gave one and has stood by it. I'll believe the Pentagon.

So when you connect the dots the picture I get is that NObama canceled the trip when informed by the Pentagon that he couldn't bring campaign staff, reporters or photographers, but that he was more than welcome. If he really wanted to visit the troops all he had to do was tell everyone else they couldn't go and then go. But he chose not to. This tells me it was because he couldn't make it a media event.



rcjames -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (8/1/2008 9:24:43 AM)

Here is part of a Associated Press story on the subject;

quote:

Today, Dr. Danny Jazarevic, who served as the Chief of Trauma, Critical Care and Vascular Surgery at Landstuhl, issued the following statement on Barack Obama's canceled visit to Ramstein and Landstuhl:

"Last week, Senator Obama skipped a visit with wounded U.S. troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany because the Pentagon would not allow campaign staff or media to accompany him into the hospital. I served as director of trauma surgery at that hospital for nearly four years and saw the effect that a visit from a celebrity like Senator Obama could have on morale. During that time, I do not recall a single member of Congress canceling a visit with the troops despite being just a few hours away, but Senator Obama seems to have been more concerned with how the visit would affect him than how it would affect the soldiers recovering from wounds received in the service of their country."


You can read the whole story HERE

Henny, it seems that I am not the only one not buying your liberal "Worship at the feet of the messiah Obama" spin on this.

Thanks
RC



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (8/1/2008 9:32:47 AM)

Newsmax? Are you kidding? Why not use the National Enquirer or NY Post as a source?

Also, it's interesting that the doctor in question does not serve at Landstuhl any longer. The man is certainly entitled to his opinion on Obama, but he had no direct involvement with this "story" that Fox and their right-wing parrots are trying so hard to keep alive when the Washington Post has debunked it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072902286.html

Nice try, though.



rcjames -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (8/1/2008 9:37:08 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: todd_t

Newsmax? Are you kidding? Why not use the National Enquirer or NY Post as a source?

Also, it's interesting that the doctor in question does not serve at Landstuhl any longer. The man is certainly entitled to his opinion on Obama, but he had no direct involvement with this "story" that Fox and their right-wing parrots are trying so hard to keep alive when the Washington Post has debunked it.


Nice try to dodge Todd, but it is an Associated Press News story.

You libs are really reaching when the only defense you can come up with is to diss the messanger. Tell me you don't have much to say, just trash and deny, deny, deny.

Thsnks
RC



todd_t -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (8/1/2008 9:49:06 AM)

I don't see a reference or link to AP anywhere on that Newsmax article.

Further, the whole Obama-hospital diss story has been debunked.

It's got no factual leg to stand on, not that that stops Obama's detractors from parroting it 24 hrs a day to anyone who'll listen.



inthysite -> RE: McCain's Attack on Obama Not Visiting the Troops in Germany Lacks Evidence (8/1/2008 10:35:30 AM)

quote:


Further, the whole Obama-hospital diss story has been debunked.


Please, please explain how this article debunks the story. All I see are quotes from NObama's campaign saying that it isn't true. Not a single quote from anyone who wasn't associated with the campaign, nothing relevant from reporters, nothing from the Pentagon, only rhetoric from NOBama.

Oh and again we see the double standard. You just denounced a story by the AP because it was posted on NewsMax but you then proceed to say this story we debunked because of an article on the Wahsington Post, a liberal media outlet.

If anything this story backs my assertion I made above, that there were 3 different explanations as to why he didn't go.

1.The official said that the trip was canceled after the Pentagon informed a campaign official that the visit would be considered a campaign event.

Here they are saying that the Pentagon would consider it a campaign event, so they didn't go.

2.Gibbs's statement said the hospital visit, which had been on the internal schedule for several weeks, was canceled because Obama decided it would be inappropriate to go there as part of a trip paid for by his campaign. Gration said the Pentagon had told the campaign that the visit would be seen as a political trip.

Here they say they didn't go because NObama decided it would be inappropriate because the trip was paid for by the campaign. Also asserting the Pentagon said it would be a political trip.

3."We got notice that [Gration] would be treated as a campaign person, and it would therefore be perceived as political because he had endorsed my candidacy but he wasn't on the Senate staff," Obama said. "That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political, and the last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not, or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns."

Finally we read that it wasn't the trip that would be political but rather Gration would be treated as a campaign person because he wasn't on the Senate staff. This triggered NObama's concern that it would be viewed as political.

Also when first questioned about this by a television reporter NObama stated the Pentagon told him he couldn't come. This was never stated by the Pentagon.

So which is it?

Here is a comment from a Pentagon spokesman (sorry it's from Fox News but they are the only ones reporting the Pentagon's side of the story, how dare they!)

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told FOX News the Pentagon did not tell Obama he couldn’t visit, but explained that he would be under specific restrictions.

“We do have certain policy guidelines for political campaigns and elections and what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in those situations,” he said. “The issue here is that if you are both a sitting senator and a political candidate … you need to do it in your capacity as a sitting senator or you have to do it with the restrictions that apply to any other candidate out there that might be running for office that is not a sitting senator.”

A memo sent out Wednesday from Undersecretary of Defense David Chu explained that Obama’s visit to such a military facility would be limited under these circumstances. Obama would not have been able to bring any of his campaign staff — only one Senate staffer and security. He also would not have been able to address the media or make any campaign-related statements.

The Obama campaign said Thursday it would be “inappropriate” to make such a stop on the campaign-funded leg of his trip, after the German magazine Der Spiegel reported on the cancellations.

Obama Camp: Visit to Troops Would Have Seemed Too Political



Page: [1] 2   next >   >>



Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.5 ANSI