Posted on 04/18/2010 5:59:59 PM PDT by autumnraine
A massive volcanic plume covering most of Europe forced President Obama to cancel a Sunday trip to Poland to attend the funeral of the nation's president. But the last-minute change left an opening in his schedule, so the president headed to the links for a round of golf instead.
On a cool but sun-drenched Sunday, the president and three golfing companions went to Andrews Air Force Base to play 18 holes. It is the 32nd time Mr. Obama has played golf since taking office Jan. 20, 2009, according to CBS Radio's Mark Knoller.
After canceling the Poland trip on Saturday, the White House announced that Mr. Obama had no public schedule for Sunday. He was to have arrived in Krakow in the morning, attend the 2 p.m. funeral and leave for home by 5 p.m., arriving back at the White House after midnight.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, along with dozens of top Polish government officials were killed April 10 when their airplane went down in heavy fog after clipping a tree on approach to Smolensk, Russia.
Mr. Obama has not gone to the Polish Embassy in Washington since the accident, but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. both have. There, they signed a condolence book.
Mr. Obama was not the only world leader to miss the funeral because of the expanding volcanic ash cloud. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also canceled.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, flew by plane from Moscow for the funeral.
Other foreign leaders used different modes of transportation to get there. Slovenian President Danilo Turk decided to drive the 500 miles to Krakow. Romanian President Traian Basescu traveled to northwestern Romania by helicopter and then continue by car through Hungary and Slovakia.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
That being said this is a slap in the face to one of our, formerly, closest allies.
I am sure the Secret Service killed the trip, just too much risk. Long road trip thru a foreign county is just too dangerous.
32 times at the golf course.
The country would be better served if this marxist spends every waking moment of every day on the golf course for the rest of his term. Less time to spend screwing the citizens out of their freedom.
Yes, but it is amazing how many tens of millions still worship at his feet.
The memory of Koscuisko lives!
Mega-disrespectful ... holy cow, what a jerk...magritte
bump to the top
His behavior is unconscionable. He’s out of control.
ignoring the main threats?
Hell, he’s encouraging the main threats while insulting our allies!
I don’t think he should risk Air Force One (note, just the plain, not the cargo) in attempting to fly. My issue is that it is beyond disrespectful to be out publicly golfing.
I watched the funeral mass telecast from Krakow. It was sad but beautiful in its dignity. I am glad that Zero was not there. He would have been out of place. He’s an embarrassment to the country.
This is just stupid, immature spite. He’s doing what any celebrity would do while in office.
He can not help that he is nothing more than a pimp soiling the Whitehouse.
I agree. The term picking our battles rings true.
“Marxist Muslim Punk”
Why is this dope smoking a$$hole not in prison?
What qualifications does the “Punk” have to rule anything?
Affirmative action political agitators have no place here!
I read somewhere that, in Moscow, we used to be known as the Main Adversary
, but now we are New Africa
.
Not that the Rooskies are racist or anything.
The Decline of the West — it's Zero's plan.
rude and insulting
If it was Cuba’s Castro, Zimbabe’s Mugabe, or Libya’s Kaddaffi, Obama would fly the American flag at half-mast.
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