Posted on 10/29/2009 11:27:45 AM PDT by kristinn
Barack Obama was nearly denied the photo-op he traveled to Dover Air Force Base for early this morning as all but one of the military and civilian families of the fallen refused permission for the media to report on the return of their loved ones.
The sole family to allow media coverage was the family of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin.
According to media reports, Griffin's casket was the last to be brought off the C-17 cargo plane that carried the bodies of 15 soldiers and 3 DEA agents killed this week in Afghanistan.
That is a stark contrast to the reported 60% approval by families for media coverage since Obama lifted the ban on media coverage in April. Byron York reported a month ago that media interest has plummeted since April such that at most dignified transfers there is only an AP stringer there to take still photographs.
Obama met with the families of the fallen at a base chapel before the dignified return took place.
AP raw video of the military's dignified transfer of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, featuring Barack Obama.
Obama's photo-op last night was the culmination of a long campaign by Obama's left wing allies like Code Pink to give aid to our enemies by highlighting the deaths of America's servicemen and women in the war on terror.
While not casting judgment on the decision by the family of Sgt. Griffin, the near unanimous decion of the families to deny Obama his photo-op, compared to the average 60%, is telling.
This administration might have seen it as a photo op; but I pray they got a good dose of reality burned into their souls.
My son is in the army and I can’t wait for him to get out with this so-called CIC. He sickens me and my son... and most all of the military I’d say.
You’ve covered what I thought about Nixon when I was in...
On the other hand, I wasn’t aware SP/4’s could resign.
We can only hope....but I honestly doubt it.
The list, ping
Only one family? The pressure on them to let it happen must have been immense - respect the office if not the man and all that. But even if they were willing participants, what this event tells me is that there was NO advance work done, that assumptions were made that of course the peasantry would kneel to the king, that this was hastily arranged, and therefore a brazen photo op with the intent to stop the hemorrhage of a failed decision-making process. The only thing I’ll say in favor of TOTUS is that he didn’t bring the traitor Kerry along for the ride.
Thank you for posting that. It made me cry but it was important to remember how great and good President George W. Bush is ahd how blessed we were to have him
the contrast with this slimey vile disgusting POS odumbo couldn’t be greater.
Michelle Obama - “I think I was like most Americans, pretty oblivious to the life of military families. Sort of taking it for granted.”
Perhaps Mrs. Obama did take these families for granted. Surely, however, it’s extraordinary to suggest that “most Americans” did the same. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123725233352050133.html
This is very sad, and it wouldn’t surprise me about Obama... But where are the posted facts and numbers coming from? I don’t see a source mention, or am I just missing it.
Obama is this how you honor our fallen soldiers. In the middle of the night instead of the light of day? Did you have a tee time that day?
Thanks for sharing this. I believe that history will treat President Bush more kindly than the “popular media” does now. I, for one, would certainly feel much safer if he were still President.
Just wanted to thank you for your two decades of service to America and to your fellow citizens.
I can’t blame you for wanting to get out with Zero as your CinC.
Whenever I see him alight from Marine One, all I want to do is wake up from this nightmare.
Obama would not allow the image of the fallen influence his war strategy, which apparently is still being formed.
"I don't think you can go out there and not understand what you're seeing and not understand the sacrifice these men and women are making," Gibbs said.
I wonder if he told the caskets that he sacrificed their lives because it was "absolutely necessary."
Not to diminish the importance of this episode because it is very touching but, I wonder how many others there were that we will never hear about. And, that is allright knowing that it was within this man to honor the family of the fallen....
"It was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day, not only our troops but their families as well," Obama said later Thursday, hours after his return to the White House. "The burden that both our troops and their families bear in any wartime situation is going to bear on how I see these conflicts, and it is something that I think about each and every day."
Ha!...good find Kristinn....the majority of families don’t want cameras there and they don’t want to be used as a photo op for this poser.
Huh? They decided not to let Obama use their loved ones before they knew Obama was coming?
Did the WH do opinion polling before they decided to do this? Wait, of course they did... and BHO would not have gone unless he had at least one family consent to be used by him.
Seventeen families denied him and he didn’t have the respect or grace to back off on this tasteless self-promoting photo op?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.