Obama Defends Scrubbing Visit to Wounded Troops

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama on Saturday defended his decision to cancel a visit with U.S. troops at a military hospital in Germany because of concerns it would be viewed as a political event.

Obama had intended to stop at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center on Friday morning, the day after delivering a speech on transatlantic relations in Berlin as part of his trip to the Middle East and Europe.

But the campaign issued a statement saying the Illinois senator decided to drop the visit from his schedule after an adviser was told it would be perceived as political.

At a news conference in London as he wrapped up his trip, Obama said the Pentagon notified the campaign that the visit would have been viewed as political because he was bringing along a campaign adviser, retired Maj. Gen. Scott Gration. Gration advises the campaign on an unpaid basis. . .


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-usa-obama-germany-troops.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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All the reich wing radio talking heads got the same talking points on this, and sang the chorus.

All of them.

The swift boating has begun, and it's going to be more coordinated than ever before. The "mainstream media" are willing accomplices. Andrea Mitchell must be enjoying this immensely.

[pinto]

1. Glad he addressed the innuendo straight up I'm sure it'll keep bouncing around the net and RW radio,

for what that's worth. But good to see the Times carry this. ed for spell

[Mz Pip]

2. And if he had gone

the RW would be all over him for using our wounded troops as a photo-op for his campaign.

[Faygo Kid]

4. Exactly. My thoughts exactly, as the talk show hosts read their talking points.

I was in the car a lot yesterday, and was surfing. They were all exactly the same, led by Hannity, who does nothing but read talking points provided to him.

Your observation was the first thing that jumped to my mind.

Ugly stuff. Get used to it.

[maseman]

6. Remember something folks

This is the truth about right-wing radio. The people who listen to it ARE NOT VOTING FOR OBAMA anyway. These people are already voting strict right-wing tickets.

Look at NYC. Hannity only reaches 2.8% of the total NYC population every week on average. (I work in radio and see the ratings.) That means that 97.2% of the New York City population doe NOT listen to Hannity. Granted, left-wing progressive talk has an even smaller audience, but teh same applies. The people whlo listen to Air America or other progressive talk already have their minds made up as well on who they are voting.

The right-wing talk hosts get much more credit than deserved for influencing elections or their people.

[Faygo Kid]

9. Point well taken. But there is the intimidation factor of the media.

I totally agree with your observation, but it needs to be said that they intimidate the mainstream media, and that's their real power. Remember Hannity talking Stephanopoulos into asking that inane Ayers question at that horrid debate?

I do not underestimate these orcs.

[AndyTiedye]

11. The OP Was About What the MSM is Saying…

…which is almost indistinguishable from what wingnut talk radio is saying.

Unfortunately, most people DO listen to the Mighty Slime Machine.

[Newsjock]

3. Obama sure has to do a lot of 'defending,' if you believe the scummy AP

The only thing he has to "defend" himself from is the AP, the de facto unpaid McCain campaign office run by Washington bureau chief and Rove-loving Ron "Keep the Faith" Fournier.

[ohio2007]

5. MSM should not be allowed to tag along as they usually do. nt

[AndyTiedye]

10. We Have NO Influence over the MSM. ONLY THEIR OWNERS Do

It is not up to us to "allow" or "not allow" the Mighty Slime Machine to do whatever the f*** it wants.

We do not own it. They do.

[ohio2007]

16. a free choice was made by Barak not to go. HE controlled and had the final say. nt

[hedgehog]

7. "The U.S. Defense Department has long-standing policies that prohibit military personnel and

military facilities from any association with partisan political campaigns and elections."

[ohio2007]

17. it been like that for a long time

in times of war
or

is it just a "Texas" thing ?












http://www.talkingproud.us/HistoryLBJVietnam.html

just saying,

an under the radar side trip to Vicenza, Italy, for example,
could still happen and the MSM would be on the outside trying to look in.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3395201#3403031

[robcon]

8. He should have gone there.

Any U.S. Senator can and should see wounded American soldiers. It's a mistake by his campaign, IMO.

[dysfunctional press]

12. yep. he didn't have to take along any press or photogs- in fact they wouldn't have allowed it.

now they'll be able to say that he didn't want to go because he couldn't take the press or photographers in with him.

he SHOULD have gone to visit the wounded troops. BIG blunder by his campaign staff.

[Kire]

14. I actually agree..

check my journal and you can tell I have been supporting a lot of this trip, but does he really think that this whole trip is not "political"?

I hope they have something to actually defend themselves with, rather than just standing on top of the "we don't want to be seen as political" mountain.

[ohio2007]

15. There were conditions made that his staff didn't agree with

As reported by reuters, the Pentagon said he could go visit but;
no media
no photo op
just visit as private citizen

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=87817&videoChannel=1


I'm sure there are groups who won't lose sleep over no wounded troop visit;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3377320&mesg_id=3377320

[Thothmes]

18. Not as a private citizen, but as a Senator.

[RamboLiberal]

19. He and his staff screwed up on this one

Personally I don't think it a biggie that it was scrubbed but they had to know that RW would turn this in to a talking point. His staff and himself have to be 100% on their toes on this kind of thing. You even have to vette your leisure and vacation activities through this filter, i.e. John Kerry windsurfing. Perfectly fine activity but a Democratic candidate have to be aware what every move, photo can be spun by the RW and the MSM.

Of course we all know most of those rules don't have to be followed by Republican candidates or Presidents.

[Wickerman]

13. Anyone got a link to the last wounded troops visit made by McSame? n/t