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Family Told Obama NOT To Wear Soldier
NewsBusters ^ | September 28, 2008 | Todd Huston

Posted on 09/28/2008 8:25:49 PM PDT by seastay

Barack Obama played the "me too" game during the Friday debates on September 26 after Senator John McCain mentioned that he was wearing a bracelet with the name of Cpl. Matthew Stanley, a resident of New Hampshire and a soldier that lost his life in Iraq in 2006. Obama said that he too had a bracelet. After fumbling and straining to remember the name, he revealed that his had the name of Sergeant Ryan David Jopek of Merrill, Wisconsin.

Shockingly, however, Madison resident Brian Jopek, the father of Ryan Jopek, the young soldier who tragically lost his life to a roadside bomb in 2006, recently said on a Wisconsin Public Radio show that his family had asked Barack Obama to stop wearing the bracelet with his son's name on it. Yet Obama continues to do so despite the wishes of the family.

Radio host Glenn Moberg of the show "Route 51" asked Mr. Jopek, a man who believes in the efforts in Iraq and is not in favor of Obama's positions on the war, what he and his ex-wife think of Obama continually using their son's name on the campaign trail.

Jopek began by saying that his ex-wife was taken aback, even upset, that Obama has made the death of her son a campaign issue. Jopek says his wife gave Obama the bracelet because "she just wanted Mr. Obama to know Ryan's name." Jopek went on to say that "she wasn't looking to turn it into a big media event" and "just wanted it to be something between Barack Obama and herself." Apparently, they were all shocked it became such a big deal.

But, he also said that his ex-wife has refused further interviews on the matter and that she wanted Obama to stop wearing the reminder of her son's sacrifice that he keeps turning into a campaign soundbyte. This begins at about 10 minutes into the radio program. (Download radio show HERE)

TRANSCRIPT

Brian Jopek: Because of some of the negative feedback she's gotten on the Internet, you know Internet blogs, you know people accusing her of... or accusing Obama of trying to get votes doing it... and that sort of thing.

Radio Host Moberg: Yeah

Jopek: She has turned down any subsequent interviews with the media because she just didn't want it to get turned into something that it wasn't. She had told me in an email that she had asked, actually asked Mr. Obama to not wear the bracelet any more at any of his public appearances. Which I don't think he's...

Moberg: It has been a while since he's brought it up.

Jopek: Right. But, the other night I was watching the news and he was on, uh, speaking somewhere and he was still wearing it on his right wrist. I could see it on his right wrist. So, that's his own choice. I mean that's something Barack Obama, that's a choice that he continues to wear it despite Tracy asking him not to... Because she is a Barack Obama supporter and she didn't want to do anything to sabotage his campaign, so, if he's still wearing the bracelet then, uh, that of course is entirely up to him.

Moberg: Maybe there's a difference between wearing it and making a point to bring it up in your speeches?

Even the snow job that the radio host tried to pull off to cover for Barack's refusing the wishes of the family of the KIA soldier who's bracelet he wears doesn't pass the smell test. After all, now that Obama has made it a big point in the debates, I guess the silent observance of Sgt. Jopek is no longer so silent and Obama is back to exploiting the death of a soldier even when he was asked NOT to do so by that soldier's parents.

To pile insult onto injury here, the Mother doesn't even want to force the issue of telling Obama to stop exploiting her son because she wants to see him win the election. Obama is not only taking advantage of this brave soldier's death, he is taking advantage of the good wishes of the man's Mother who doesn't want to hurt the campaign.

And, why is the media not playing this story? The radio show on which this interview is heard happened all the way back in March. How is it the media missed this? Is it because they are also don't want to hurt Obama's campaign?

I can only say that if the parents of the soldier whose bracelet John McCain is wearing had said in public that they want him to stop wearing their son's bracelet the news would have been coast to coast, and wall to wall, not just ignored in Madison, Wisconsin.

Obama's use of this soldier that fell in the line of duty is tainted by his ambition and callousness. And the media is letting him get away with it.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fallen; jopek; militaryfamilies; obama
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1 posted on 09/28/2008 8:25:49 PM PDT by seastay
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To: seastay

This is a false story. The MSM has released a story saying that Ryan’s “mother” was just “ecstatic” that Obama was wearing the bracelet 2 and brought up her son’s name in the debates to shut McCain up.


2 posted on 09/28/2008 8:29:28 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Hey America! Here's your "crap" sandwich! Eat up!)
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To: seastay

What was the thread earlier that said the family was okay with it? This is confusing or some natural born liars a work somewhere.


3 posted on 09/28/2008 8:29:42 PM PDT by K-oneTexas (I'm not a judge and there ain't enough of me to be a jury. (Zell Miller, A National Party No More))
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To: seastay

Didn’t Obama claim that she had told Barry that she didn’t want other mothers to have to go through what she did? Is that a lie?


4 posted on 09/28/2008 8:29:51 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: seastay; All

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/bracelet-wars.html

In the interest of fairness (a thing the liberals know very little about) here’s the link to the update... not so cut and dried anymore.

“But — and here’s where it gets complicated — according to the AP story, Tracy Jopek also said she was “ecstatic” that Obama mentioned her son’s hero bracelet during Friday’s debate. That’s because he was responding to McCain citing a different griveing mother’s hero bracelet as a way to back his political views of the war in Iraq and citing the bracelet she’d given Obama was a good and appropriate way to remind people there are different views on this issue.”


5 posted on 09/28/2008 8:30:57 PM PDT by Gordon Greene (www.fracturedrepublic.com - Me... I'm ignorant but I do know this; God is our only hope!)
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To: seastay
" Jopek went on to say that "she wasn't looking to turn it into a big media event" and "just wanted it to be something between Barack Obama and herself."

Just don't say that while in the "Show Me" State. You might get arrested.

6 posted on 09/28/2008 8:33:06 PM PDT by Mark (Don't argue with my posts. I typed while under sniper fire..)
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To: seastay

This is just as stoopid now as it was this morning when we learned this woman is an Obambi supporter! NON-STORY! The kid’s dad may be a Mac supporter but the mother who gave “the one” the bracelet is an O supporter. They’ll have her on stage soon to swoon!


7 posted on 09/28/2008 8:34:50 PM PDT by graywaiter (Gotta love those gun tote'n mommas.......)
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To: FlingWingFlyer
the original story was that they the parents were upset....

the bamey goon squads then dreamed up this new scenario....I am sure they approached this woman and got half an okay about, after the fact....afterall, the bamist are loyal even when it means throwing their dead son's under the bus....

8 posted on 09/28/2008 8:35:03 PM PDT by cherry
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To: FlingWingFlyer

The mother asked Obama not to mention her son’s name during the campaign. He did anyway. When questioned today, the mother said it was okay with her.


9 posted on 09/28/2008 8:36:38 PM PDT by Krankor (Are you claiming you eat toucans or)
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To: seastay

That’s real classy, Hussein. What’s next, wearing a 101st Airborne lapel pin?


10 posted on 09/28/2008 8:37:53 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Never argue with idiots. They'll pull you down to their level, then beat you with experience.)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

The mother is now saying that, although she did ask the Obama campaign to stop using her son’s name on the campaign trail, she was happy with his name being used in response to McCain’s reference, but that is not what she said at first. AND the father is on record, his voice recorded here (13 minutes into interviews ) saying that the mother had asked Obama not to wear the bracelet. but “Because she is a Barack Obama supporter and she didn’t want to do anything to sabotage his campaign, so, if he’s still wearing the bracelet then, uh, that of course is entirely up to him.”

http://clipcast.wpr.org:8080/ramgen/wpr/wau/rt51080329_iraqwar5years.mp3


11 posted on 09/28/2008 8:38:34 PM PDT by seastay
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To: seastay
"But, he also said that his ex-wife has refused further interviews on the matter and that she wanted Obama to stop wearing the reminder of her son's sacrifice that he keeps turning into a campaign soundbyte. This begins at about 10 minutes into the radio program. (Download radio show HERE)"

Obama was obviously using the bracelet as a sound bite(byte? funny!). But forgetting the name on it during the debate won't be forgotten. That will defintely make some fence sitters think he is insincere. Yeah, he just might have lost the election right there. :)

12 posted on 09/28/2008 8:38:55 PM PDT by apt4truth
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To: Krankor

She did say it was alright after the fact...

The thing that burns my hide no matter what is that Obama ignored her original request. He hates the military, and if the pastor he sat under for 20 years is any indication, he hates America and whites for that matter! If someone wants to argue that they need to do some research on Black Liberation Theology.

Krankor, let me read into your comment a little like Obama did Ms. Japek’s: I totally agree with you. He is an opportunist and she is a schoolgirl in love with hope and change.

Obama is truly appalling.


13 posted on 09/28/2008 8:41:27 PM PDT by Gordon Greene (www.fracturedrepublic.com - Me... I'm ignorant but I do know this; God is our only hope!)
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To: Krankor; seastay

http://www.channel3000.com/news/17576962/detail.html


14 posted on 09/28/2008 8:42:40 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Hey America! Here's your "crap" sandwich! Eat up!)
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To: seastay
Already posted:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2092455/posts

15 posted on 09/28/2008 8:44:31 PM PDT by GoRepGo
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To: Gordon Greene
Obama is truly appalling.

Yes, he sucks as a human being and a Senator. He even sucks at being a Father. I would imagine he also sucks at being a husband too.

16 posted on 09/28/2008 8:45:26 PM PDT by apt4truth
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To: K-oneTexas

Not too tough to figure out. A divorced couple taking different sides is pretty normal.


17 posted on 09/28/2008 8:47:31 PM PDT by SlapHappyPappy
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To: seastay

I hope she’s not another Cindy Sheehan, argghhh.


18 posted on 09/28/2008 8:49:50 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: Marysecretary

i knew both parents before they moved. neither seemed radical, just hard working blue collar catholics. their kids were my kids ages. the deceased son was a year ahead of my oldest. he called during the debate asking if he really said the jopek kids name. i couldn’t tell him one way or the other, i couldn’t bring myself to watch the debate, the “community organizer” turns my stomach....i just couldn’t watch. this whole episode is just too surreal. i knew the kid.....my heart aches for the family.


19 posted on 09/28/2008 8:56:39 PM PDT by wheathead
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To: SlapHappyPappy

I though that possibly, but I read somewhere that this story was a lie. I haven’t seen either party on a news show.


20 posted on 09/28/2008 9:01:07 PM PDT by K-oneTexas (I'm not a judge and there ain't enough of me to be a jury. (Zell Miller, A National Party No More))
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