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Obama Camp Cites Pentagon in Scrapping Troop Visit
newsmax.com ^ | July 25, 2008 | staff

Posted on 07/26/2008 6:52:17 AM PDT by kellynla

PARIS -- An aide to Sen. Barack Obama said Friday the Democratic presidential contender believed he could visit wounded troops at a military hospital in Germany without involving them in a campaign controversy and scrapped his plans after the Pentagon raised concerns.

The spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said the Air Force several days ago cleared Obama's chartered campaign jet to land at Ramstein Air Base. It was only Wednesday night, two days before the planned visit, that Pentagon officials conveyed their views, he said, and Obama decided not to go.

Gibbs said Obama had decided several weeks ago he wanted to visit wounded troops in Germany. Asked whether either the senator or aides had considered that the trip might be viewed as political, he replied, "We had taken some of that into consideration but we believed that it could be done in a way that would not create, it would not be created or seen as a campaign stop."

But after hearing from the Pentagon, he said, "We decided, Senator Obama decided having made that decision he was far more willing to take the criticism from some political people or political opponents in a political atmosphere than to put our troops in the middle of our campaign back and forth."

Sen. John McCain's campaign spokesman Brian Rogers criticized the decision, saying, "Barack Obama is wrong. It is never 'inappropriate' to visit our men and women in the military."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: obama; obamasbigadventure; snub; troops
"At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman said Obama was told he could go to Landstuhl, but the visit would have to conform to Defense Department guidelines that restrict political activity on military installation. That meant campaign staff would have been barred from accompanying him, he said.

Meaning, "THERE WILL BE NO PHOTO OPS!"


1 posted on 07/26/2008 6:52:17 AM PDT by kellynla
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To: kellynla

The troops objected to Brian Williams’ nose being shoved up Obama’s backside...


2 posted on 07/26/2008 6:56:11 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: kellynla
What a completely idiotic fool this creep is!

The Messiah goes to Iraq to meet the leaders "who I expect to be dealing with over the next eight to 10 years. It's important for me to have a relationship with them early, that I start listening to them now, getting a sense of what their interests and concerns are."

This bozo has got to lose and lose big regardless of the fact that Juan McLame is running against him.

3 posted on 07/26/2008 6:57:39 AM PDT by KLFuchs (Congress and the president working together is much worse than having them fighting.)
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To: kellynla

Message to Nobama: You can be quiet now. We know the truth. You’re just making it worse.


4 posted on 07/26/2008 6:58:46 AM PDT by Jemian (Politics is just choking good sense.)
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To: kellynla
"We had taken some of that into consideration but we believed that it could be done in a way that would not create, it would not be created or seen as a campaign stop."

Not a campaign stop? How often does he visit the wounded troops here in the 'States?

5 posted on 07/26/2008 7:00:27 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Thank God for every morning.)
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To: kellynla

Team Obama has every reason to lie about this; the Pentagon does not.


6 posted on 07/26/2008 7:01:51 AM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: Jemian

Excuse after excuse etc.

Even IF the Pentagon in essence told him ‘no politickin’, the smart thing to do politically was to go anyway.

These people are really not ready for primetime in SO many ways.


7 posted on 07/26/2008 7:02:22 AM PDT by Let's Roll (As usual, following a shooting spree, libs want to take guns away from those who DIDN'T do it.)
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To: kellynla

God, let’s just drop it, Obama, ok? Liberals seize on this thing about being cheated or treated unfairly and they beat it to death, but they’ll never give anyone else the same break...


8 posted on 07/26/2008 7:03:14 AM PDT by nikos1121 (The first black president of the US should be at least a "Jackie Robinson.")
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To: kellynla

Obama’s people better shut up, the liars.
On second thought, keep talking.


9 posted on 07/26/2008 7:03:45 AM PDT by visualops (artlife.us -nature photography desktop wallpapers)
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To: Jemian

“Message to Nobama: You can be quiet now. We know the truth. You’re just making it worse.”

.....that’s right...the damage is done...we’ve all gotten another look at Obama and are not surprised at what we see.


10 posted on 07/26/2008 7:06:33 AM PDT by STONEWALLS
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To: visualops; kellynla
Obama’s people better shut up, the liars.

On second thought, keep talking.

You're right let them keep talking, they don't have a clue...

11 posted on 07/26/2008 7:07:54 AM PDT by Doofer (Carl Cameron Is A Weasel)
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To: kellynla

He wants to be elected President of the United States and he can’t even organize a hospital visit.


12 posted on 07/26/2008 7:08:31 AM PDT by DocRock (All they that TAKE the sword shall perish with the sword. Matthew 26:52 Gun grabbers beware.)
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To: kellynla

Not only is Obama lying about this, the biggest whopper in the history of politics is what Fred Barnes reported. While in Israel, Obama claimed to serve on the Senate Banking Committee, and claims to have voted to place harsh restrictions on Iranian investments. Not only is he NOT on that committee, he didn’t vote on that bill. With over a hundred press corps in Israel following the Obamessiah around like puppy dogs, none called him on this.

To top all this off, he even made a similar claim at a press conference and so outraged Sen. Christopher Dodd that Dodd told the press “He had nothing to do with it!”


13 posted on 07/26/2008 7:09:05 AM PDT by TommyDale (I) (Never forget the Republicans who voted for illegal immigrant amnesty in 2007!)
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To: savedbygrace

Exactly!

Would the Pentagon lie about having a standard policy in place barring political campaigning, when anyone could check up on it? The person making the false announcement would lose his job.

Would the Messiah lie (er, excuse me, issue a clarification of previous statements)? Damn right they would!


14 posted on 07/26/2008 7:10:10 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (Old, pale and stale - McCain in 2008! but we're only one vote away from losing the 2nd amendment...)
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To: kellynla

Guess that retired Air Force General who grew up in Africa didn’t like he was not allowed to be included since he was part of the campaign staff. Arrogance abounds in that campaign.

Cannot wait until November to see them all come tumbling down to earth and the charter plane go from Obama1 back to having an American flag on the tail.

Obama is a disgusting along with his staff.


15 posted on 07/26/2008 7:10:30 AM PDT by PhiKapMom ( VOTE FOR McCAIN 2008! Support Florida's Gus Bilirakus, FL-9; McCainNow.com; LetsGetThisRight.com)
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To: savedbygrace

It’s very simple. The military does not make this up as they go along (unlike the Obama people). There are specific rules for civilian behavior on a military base, and I have no doubt the rules at the base hospital are long-standing regulations. Politicians visit constituents in military hospitals and I’m sure it’s no big secret what the protocol is. Besides, it’s up to you, the visitor, to find out what the rules are if you want to visit a base/military hospital, not the other way around.


16 posted on 07/26/2008 7:20:13 AM PDT by visualops (artlife.us -nature photography desktop wallpapers)
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To: kellynla
RUSH:...But here's the thing. Obama started his speech yesterday saying he was not a candidate, remember? He was just a guy walking through the woods there and he sees 100,000 people or more, a microphone and a podium and says, "Hey, I think I'll go give a speech." He stands up and says, "I am not a candidate. I'm a citizen of the world," or whatever. Cancels the trip to the troops because it would be a campaign event. Now, how can a non-candidate be engaging in a campaign event? See, these are little things, folks, to most people, "Oh, Rush." They matter. He could still go. In fact, the wise thing to have done would have been to go see them with nobody knowing he had done it and then announce that he had done it after he was gone, and then go to the Ritz-Carlton to work out. That would have been the smart thing to do. But he makes it obvious he didn't care about seeing the troops. He wanted a photo op. And when they told him he couldn't take any photogs and the reason you can't take photographers is because the Pentagon has a rule that the military can't get involved in campaigns and so that's why you couldn't take photographers. Obama could have gone in there as a private citizen without cameras. They said he could take a couple, three aides, no media and no pictures, that he could have gone in, and he didn't.

Now, a lot of people here say, "It's not a big deal, Rush, he had a busy schedule." This is the little stuff that I notice that sends up huge red flags about somebody's character. (cont.)

Don't Be Afraid of the Drive-Bys

As Messiah Tours with Disciples, Obama Fatigue Sweeps America

Parody: One Night in Baghdad | Shanklin
17 posted on 07/26/2008 7:21:48 AM PDT by Miss Didi ("Good heavens, woman, this is a war not a garden party!" Dr. Meade, Gone with the Wind)
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To: kellynla

Senator Obama went to Harvard Law School. He should understand what “no campaign staff” means. But he couldn’t go make the visit without them?


18 posted on 07/26/2008 7:23:34 AM PDT by popdonnelly (Boycott Washington D.C. until they allow gun ownership)
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To: P.O.E.; kellynla

>>>>Not a campaign stop? How often does he visit the wounded troops here in the ‘States?

Why didn’t he just hop up to the Balad/Anaconda field hospital from the IZ? 30 minutes up, 30 minutes back to the Green Zone, and it’s the originating point of the Ramstein/Landstuhl run (to my recollection, **all** of the wounded are prep’ed and flown to Germany via the Balad field hospital and Balad AB).

He could have thanked the nurses and doctors there for their heroic work in a combat zone, not to mention the wounded soldiers.

Which illustrates that his real reason was to put himself in front of a camera, not to thank the troops.

Twit.


19 posted on 07/26/2008 7:26:22 AM PDT by angkor (Conservatism is not now and never has been a religious movement.)
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To: angkor
He would have been told by these patched up heroes that the sacrifice was worth it...

That is the reality with which he is not prepared to deal.

20 posted on 07/26/2008 7:29:01 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Who is America's George Galloway?)
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To: kellynla
Meaning, "THERE WILL BE NO PHOTO OPS!"

And thus, there will be no visit of any kind...not even a quiet visit by a rookie senator to check in on the wounded troops... nothing. BO simply can't be diverted from his 24/7 politicking. This would come back to haunt him in a nation more concerned with decency rather than where to get the next loan.
21 posted on 07/26/2008 7:31:49 AM PDT by PerConPat (A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.-- Mencken)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

hey gov_bean_ counter, you’re not the auditor who gave me grief over a missing sleeping bag liner at Ft. Bliss, are you?

(just kidding)


22 posted on 07/26/2008 7:32:00 AM PDT by angkor (Conservatism is not now and never has been a religious movement.)
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To: kellynla

23 posted on 07/26/2008 7:32:38 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: angkor
No sir...

I'm just an obscure little Systems Accountant hanging out in a trailer park in the middle of the Iraqi desert...

Auditors - They come in after the war and shoot the wounded.

24 posted on 07/26/2008 7:33:55 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Who is America's George Galloway?)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

>>>>hanging out in a trailer park in the middle of the Iraqi desert...

I have fond memories of our little filthy-with-dust converted conex at LSA Anaconda. Six months in that little box, 7x12 per week. When the electricity and A/C went out (thanks KBR) the temp would jump to 120F in about 30 minutes. Once I almost passed out from the inside temp, it was a cool 105F outside.


25 posted on 07/26/2008 7:39:09 AM PDT by angkor (Conservatism is not now and never has been a religious movement.)
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To: Doofer

26 posted on 07/26/2008 7:39:25 AM PDT by Jemian (Politics is just choking good sense.)
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To: kellynla

Berra said if you’re standing in a hole, quit digging.

Barry O. goes nowhere without cameras to capture every adoring moment.

Do you think it’s just possible that he feared the soldiers wouldn’t be exactly all that adoring?

I mean, being anti-troop surge kind of tells them Barry O. doesn’t have either their success or their safety high on his priority list. So why would they want to shake his hand?

God bless our troops!


27 posted on 07/26/2008 7:41:42 AM PDT by quintr
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To: kellynla

Lying sack of C..p !!!!!


28 posted on 07/26/2008 7:48:55 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: quintr
Barry O says he wants the troops to be "safe". I can't tell you the number of times I have been the chow line hearing soldiers chomping at the bit to get "out".

O Barry O has not one ounce of understanding about the minds and hearts of these brave men and women.

29 posted on 07/26/2008 7:49:23 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Who is America's George Galloway?)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Is that how is face got crooked ,by sticking is nose up the butts of all thse left wing loons?


30 posted on 07/26/2008 7:50:08 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: visualops

If he really wanted to go and pay tribute to the wounded he would have gone alone and said NOTHING about it .
The fact is he wanted his photo op and that was not going to happen ,Period ,end of story. Lying fraud and Phony.


31 posted on 07/26/2008 7:53:40 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: kellynla
An aide to Sen. Barack Obama said Friday the Democratic presidential contender believed he could visit wounded troops at a military hospital in Germany without involving them in a campaign controversy and scrapped his plans after the Pentagon raised concerns.

Their concern was that the military is not supposed to participate in political activities. He was more than welcome to visit the troops, but he couldn't make a political photo op with hordes of reporters.

32 posted on 07/26/2008 8:00:56 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Public policy should never become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. -- Ike Eisenhower)
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To: kellynla

“”We had taken some of that into consideration but we believed that it could be done in a way that would not create, it would not be created or seen as a campaign stop.”

But after hearing from the Pentagon, he said, “We decided, Senator Obama decided having made that decision he was far more willing to take the criticism from some political people or political opponents in a political atmosphere than to put our troops in the middle of our campaign back and forth.””

Is there no one connected to this campaign including Obama who can speak in coherent sentences? How about plain English?


33 posted on 07/26/2008 8:08:30 AM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: nikos1121

“”he was far more willing to take the criticism from some political people or political opponents””

I guess this means we won’t hear Obama or his staffers complain about this making the news? OR they really didn’t mean what they said? Or it was misinterpreted? Or it was taken out of context? Whatever!


34 posted on 07/26/2008 8:11:30 AM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: Thank You Rush
They are lying. Obama was told he could do it as a non campaign stop and he refused to do it, precisely because the Pentagon blocked the campaign aspects. Now they are lying, saying they didn't go to avoid the impression of a campaign stop.

It is unfathonable that a presidential hopeful would cancel a visit to wounded troops. Obama has to be a total ignoramus to let taht happen.

35 posted on 07/26/2008 8:28:00 AM PDT by Williams
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To: gov_bean_ counter
Barry O says he wants the troops to be "safe". I can't tell you the number of times I have been the chow line hearing soldiers chomping at the bit to get "out".

My eyes (or mind) must be tired. I did a double take and then realized that you meant chomping at the bit to get "out" and into the action as opposed to out of the military to be safe like OBamBam wants.

36 posted on 07/26/2008 9:21:41 AM PDT by Sal (MSM=Monica Services for the Messiah)
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To: kellynla
Sense the Pentagon is under the Commander in Chief, again, something else is Bush's fault.
37 posted on 07/26/2008 9:30:42 AM PDT by tbpiper (NObama '08 - Unfit in any color)
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To: Sal

Roger that, you’re tracking...


38 posted on 07/26/2008 9:34:32 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Who is America's George Galloway?)
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To: Jemian

“Message to Nobama: You can be quiet now. We know the truth. You’re just making it worse.”

Obama has a open hole in his ego bubble.
We need to tear it wider!
Obama will help....his ego will get in the way.

Obama is showing his immaturity.
Narcissist are not mature individuals.

We should hammer on this...make Obama like the 13 year old son who forgot to pick up his sister from band practice.

It’s irresponsible.

Look at his photograph...he reminds me of a 13 year old boy.
http://www.fearthebeard.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/barack-obama-bw.png


39 posted on 07/26/2008 9:37:45 AM PDT by Milligan
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To: ballplayer

Brian has trouble keeping a straight face.


40 posted on 07/27/2008 5:37:12 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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