UPDATE: Obama Campaign Blames Pentagon for Troop Snub in Germany

Thursday, July 24, 2008 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

The Obama campaign has issued a new statement blaming the Pentagon for Obama's controversial decision to scrap visits to U.S. troops and Rammstein Landstuhl military bases in Germany on Friday.

Der Spiegel initially reported this morning that Obama had cancelled the visits without reason. Then as word spread through the political world after the story was first posted at Free Republic, Obama's campaign issued a statement saying Obama thought it would be "inappropriate" to visit the troops while on a campaign trip.

After the McCain campaign issued a statement upbraiding Obama for snubbing the troops saying that it is never inappropriate to visit troops, Obama's campaign issued a new statement blaming the Pentagon:

"We 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 perveived as a campaign event when his visit was to show his appreciation for our troops and decided instead not to go," Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, USAF (Ret), Obama spokesman.

[phatus maximus]

What a lying piece of crap.

[TigersEye]

Apparently the General is a liar.

[onemiddleamerican]

It was Saturday, June 28 at 8:00 a.m. for about a half hour. I think that was his only visit. He was there to criticize Bush on the administration of the facility. Visiting the soldiers was secondary.

When he visited the troops at Walter Reed on June 28th, it was done as "Barack Obama, presidential candidate":

Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama made a private, last-minute stop at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Saturday morning where he presumably visited with wounded veterans, though campaign aides both on and off site would not confirm, and a press pool was not allowed in the facility.

While the Illinois senator was inside, Obama's campaign simultaneously announced he would be making trips to both the Middle East and to Europe shortly this summer.

[Lancey Howard]

"Here's what happened...."

Obama planned a campaign trip to visit wounded soldiers in Germany during which he was supposed to pretend that it was not a campaign trip. Which, of course, it was. But Obama cancelled the campaign trip when somebody at the Pentagon allegedly informed him that the jig was up and that NOBODY would buy his claim that the planned campaign trip was not a campaign trip. But after cancelling the campaign trip to visit the wounded servicemen, Obama was criticized for "snubbing" them. Which, of course, he did.

So now Obama and his handlers are dizzy and confused and desperately in need of somebody to blame for their own incompetence. And who else to blame but that perfect foil for leftists everywhere.... the Pentagon!

So you see, it was all just another right wing conspiracy.

[Liberty Valance]

[Scotswife]

What is the story with this Gration fellow?

How does a military guy wind up in bed with a phony marxist like Obama?

[infowarrior]

Screw you General." Specialist Walsh, US Army, ETS'd many moons ago." BUMP! Cpt. Phred, same branch, same ETS.

Bump again, Charlie Mike...

SSG infowarrior same branch/ETS...

[happygrl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MDcsNf0Gtw

[happygrl]

That's because, without his handlers, Obama is a gaffe machine ready to implode at any moment.

Nailed it.

[XR7]

It would be viewed as a campaign event...

Without a chance of attracting many votes from the crowd.
Better to get "more bang for the buck" elsewhere.

[Tinsoldier]

Obama didn’t want to go over the top with his Hollywood production millions were spent to engineer..Nadhmi Auchi (Iraqi billionare and Saddams Intel with convictions) funded Tony Rezko. And. Seventeen year friend Tony Rezko (Syrian with US convictions and pending cases) of which Barack and Tony bought adjoining property the same day in 2005. Barack later bought a 10’ x 3’ portion of Tony’s to discourage development.

[CaliforniaCon]

Re “Slimeball..plain and simple”

Yep, or “The Audacity of the Dope.”

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

That was profound analysis up in post 4:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050934/posts#4

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

“You are only a figurehead for the people pulling your strings - some of who I doubt you are even aware of.”

That’s right. We actually have 70 states, and Dum-bama thought he was so clever to find only 58.

[visualops]

Very strange...even if they don’t like the military, most lefties in Congress at least make the pretense of caring and visiting wounded troops is a popular way to profess to care. One has to wonder, does he have a weak stomach or faint at the sight of blood, or has some hospital fear? I mean at Walter Reed, if you don’t confirm visiting with wounded vets, that tells me you didn’t, especially if you didn’t let the press tag along.
Somehow I doubt any vets will be coming forward with their family photos of Obama at the hospital bedside.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

“Typical girlie man answer. I think Jaskass Jackson has already gotten to him.”

Nope. He's guarding his crown jewels with a breathalyser.

[SkyPilot]

As someone who was assigned to Ramstein for 4 years, this is incredible news.

The troops at Ramstein (and throughout the Kaiserslautern Military Community) would all rally for politicians visits. For example, Gov S I am appalled Obama would not visit our wounded heroes at Landstuhl hospital. Ramstein and Landstuhl are very close to each other - and most of the wounded are flown to Ramstein and then transported there.

Moreover, at Ramstein, the troops are not as "captive an audience" like those deployed to Iraq. There would be announcements all over the community when, for instance, the Speaker of House was going to arrive. If you wanted to come out and say hello, there would be a hanger (usually the large wash rack - see hanger below) to do so if that politician wanted to give a speech.

I wonder if the Obama camp got word that few were going to show up.

[Enchante]

"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."

Obamessiah realized he could not concoct the kind of campaign event intended with troops as backdrop, so he cancelled. Why does that not surprise me? The socialist scumbag does not care about our military people, he cares only about his cultish quest to be the Obamessiah.

[Fresh Wind]

All I am wondering now is what will be the emblem on their red armbands.

I think we already know the answer to that question. Obama's red, white, and blue symbolic a******.

[SkyPilot]

I am sorry - in my previous post I meant to type that Governor Schwarzenegger visited Ramstein AB and Landstuhl in 2004 - and was greeted by huge crowds.

Schwarzenegger visits troops in Germany