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Above: U.S. Rep Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) visits a soldier at Landstuhl.
So here's what happened. Sen. Obama, having visited wounded soldiers in Iraq, planned to do the same in Germany. Then he canceled, presumably because he agrees with the Pentagon's statement today that it would "not [be] acceptable" to use the Army hospital in the quaint town of Landstuhl as a campaign stop. Obama's people say they talked it over with the military for a while, and both entities decided it was a bad idea.
But fans of John McCain, playing into popular Republican themes this week, still suspect the dignity of the U.S. Armed Forces has been trod on, so they teem and rage. At the Web site ClintonDemocrats.com, for example, someone with access to a computer has opined that "Wounded Vets Don't Count With Obama." Points out fellow iJournalist "pat1755":
He [Obama] dont know what he is sayin just anything to make people like him He tells people over there our dirty littel secrets we are not perfect blah blah then snubs our troops give them no credit they dont die to get 72 virgins in heaven they die to help people.
After the break, a guide to this non-thing.
♦ "Sen. Obama is more than welcome to visit Landstuhl or any other military hospital around the world," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told the L.A. Times. "But he has to do so, just as any other senator has to do so, in his official capacity. It is not acceptable to do so as a candidate." [L.A. Times]
♦ From the Obama campaign, retired Gen. Scott Gration builds upon this premise: the senator "had every intention of visiting," but "learned from the Pentagon last night that the visit would be viewed instead as a campaign event. Senator Obama did not want to have a trip to see our wounded warriors perceived as a campaign event when his visit was to show his appreciation for our troops and decided instead not to go." [Reuters]
♦ The Obama camp's Gibbs says, confusingly, that the Pentagon "cited a regulation." More Gibbs: "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." [Politico]
♦ Anonymous military officials vaguely described by MSNBC as "working on" the Obama visit—though it's not said in what capacity—"didn't know why" Obama didn't visit. "He was more than welcome. We were all ready for him." [MSNBC]
♦ MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell: "The anger here in the [Obama] campaign is pretty intense at the Pentagon. They feel that the military are drawing some lines--they're not saying this publicly of course--but drawing lines that they might have drawn for other people." [MyDD]
♦ Obama phoned hurt GIs today to make it up to them. [MSNBC]
♦ Obama reportedly tells people over there "our dirty littel secrets we are not perfect blah blah" [see above]. [ClintonDemocrat.com]
Others are working hard to spread rumors that Obama hates the military.
♦ Radio spots taken out this week by the Republican National Committee claim Obama "chooses Washington over our military" and votes against money for soldiers. It was McCain, however, who voted against the GI Bill, while pledging his "affection, respect and devotion," as opposed to government cash, to GIs. [YouTube]
♦ In this season of popular e-mail forwards claiming Obama refuses to salute the flag, etc., an Army captain is "devastated" that his private letter, complaining about Obama's visit to Bagram—the stuff working GIs have been saying about comfortable politicians since before the age of Bill Mauldin—became a huge Hotmail hit. He retracts what he said. [New York Daily News]
Of course, had Obama visited the troops, the usual people would shed bitter tears at his supposed use of wounded soldiers in an uncanny recreation of Triumph of the Will.
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I noticed it again in the Army Captain’s email: “Commander-and-Chief” is this new construction that the righties have for the President. Bad enough that they call the President the Commander-IN-Chief of America, when he’s only the C-in-C of the armed forces, but where does this ‘-AND-’ come from?
Jeeebus. I knew it would get ridiculous but the direction those bastards go completely surprises me time and again.
OT The crook Pete Domenici was unintentionally revealing today when he was whining that the Republicans’ torpedoing of a Democratic anti-speculation bill was Harry Reid’s fault because of as Majority leader he calls the shots in the Senate, which if true why didn’t Super Harry do something to stop the FISA Amendments Act?
On the NewsHour they are having a lamebrained discussion about comparative coverage of Obama and McCain, the moderator Judy Woodruff is actually the only one making any real points. She is the one who points out that McCain while complaining about Obama’s press treatment has called the media his base.
Then Shields and Brooks: Brooks says he had a good week but then says that Obama’s Berlin speech was like Miss America talking about world peace but with less heft. Then he says McCain had a bad week and goes on to say although he was completely right about the unfairness of Obama’s coverage. Shields bemoans that McCain’s whining makes him look small. Ya think?
I can actually understand the right’s argument on this one. Isn’t it a federal law or something that only Republicans can use our troops as stage props?
OT, but this is a hoot:
http://www.theyesmen.org/
I swear, they ought to serve tea in little bone china cups and eat little crumpets while they talk on that show.
I caught a few minutes of, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) at American GI Forum in Denver, CO (July 25, 2008), on cspan today. On the television screen it was very clear to me some fancy editing (fuzzy focus?) around McCains head, especially the left side of his face. When did cspan join FOX?
Agreed, Teddy. He’s the Commander in Chief of the military, he’s the president of the US.
McCain is starting to eat his own feet.
Yes, great image. They are very genteel and always miss the point like they live in an alternate reality, which inhabiting Inside the Beltway they do.
McCain’s “team” is trying to make this stupid hospital non-story into the gaffe of Obama’s overseas trip. Sounds like the media is having a hard time digesting the story in the order the McCain “team” would like them to.
I wonder if there will be a shakeup of the McCain “team” after this great week he’s had. This would be, what, shakeup number three, or four?
And there’ll be another shakeup to make room for the Veep candidate’s team, I suppose, depending on the Veep candidate. Lindsey doesn’t seem to have much of a team, on the field at least, but if RGJoe gets picked you just know [dangerstein] will fight his way to the front of the McCain “team.”
Not sure where I saw it but it seems that his plane could have also been an issue since it’s a campaign plane. I’ll look around and see if I can find it again.
here’s a bit from the email i got from redstate.com:
The Republicans are all about militarizing the Presidency because it allows them to claim unprecedented, undemocratic power for themselves, the rich, and the corporations. Again if this were any country other than ours, no one would have a problem with calling this fascist.
greg serget points out that the dod regulations specifically prevented campaign staff to the hospital visit, but that obama’s senate staff would be welcome.
however, obama had no senate staff w/him, according to sergent, only campaign staff. sergent also says obama wasn’t told about this specificity in pentagon regulations until he was overseas w/his campaign staff.
tho a reader of mine (carl of simply left behind) pointed out that, being on the armed services subcommittee of veterans affairs, obama should have gotten this straight before embarking on the journey.
I believe this was the original version.
oh, that’s a hoot.
last night specter was on the senate floor complaining that reid had filed for cloture a second time on S.3268 in order to prevent any amendments from being considered - and warning that the Rs would prevent its passage if they weren’t allowed to have their amendments (specter wanted to add his nopec amendment).
i don’t know if there is anyone not playing games with this bill. the first cloture vote passed 94-0. today cloture was defeated by a party line vote (50-43)
OT - HJC “Imperial Presidency” hearing rebroadcast starting now on C-SPAN 1.
Sorry to interrupt!
I heard on NPR he had originally gotten approval for the visit and then this was withdrawn at the last moment. So I think his people thought they had covered their bases but the Pentagon changed the rules on them.
Good luck but beware, I listened to that most of the day. Hours and hours of brain rotting drivel with about 10 minutes of substance. *g*
At least he wasn’t shopping for Ferragamo’s while people were drowning in New Orleans.
Meanwhile on Washington Week there is some idiot talking about how Iran is likely to be the next President’s main concern because it is getting closer and closer to the knowledge of how to build a nuclear weapon. What part of the last NIE on Iran did these people not get? And why are they repeating Cheney’s talking points?
i get redstate’s emails for laughs.
Pretty amazing when everyone knows Bushco lied us into war, killed millions of innocents, tortured, spied illegally.. and has not stopped… but the pre hearing has already decided the crimes are not worthy of an official hearing or any charges.
If this (our countries) story had been a fictional book 5 years ago, I would have laughed at it.
ooops 15 years ago.
I always wondered how the Romans had all of these brilliant ruthless politicians practically tripping over each other, and frequently doing each other in, to create their empire, and then gave it over to a bunch of inbred loons. Having lived through those last 15 years, I don’t wonder about it anymore.
ian has a new post upstairs: McCain Sings: “Obama’s Plan is My Plan”, Destroys Rationale For His Entire Campaign
The bottom line in terms of which candidate cares more about the troops: which one voted for, and which one against, the G.I. Bill? All the rest is rhetoric.