Soldiers Were ORDERED to Attend Bush Coronation Party & Had to Pay Own Way

[Stephanie]

I'd like to find another source to verify this. It's absolutely disgusting. This is a letter to the editor at MSNBC.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6863629/

My son is an army reservist and he returned from Iraq last March. He was ordered to attend one of the inauguration parties.

I am prior service myself, so I felt very proud that he was chosen from all the people in his group. This particular gathering was to honor many of the soldiers and their families who have been to Iraq.

A group of five drove down from Long Island to Washington last Monday morning, and they were to return Tuesday evening.

Around midnight on Tuesday, my son returned home, looking tired from the drive. The next morning, he told me he didn’t have a good time because they basically stood around and watched the president say a few words. He said there was no food provided for them, so they ate after the event at some fast-food restaurant. They spend all this money for this celebration and can't feed my son? He stayed at a local military base with the rest of the group, but they made him pay for the room.

Apparently, there was a mix-up, or they were short a room.

I don't care what the problem was, he was told to go, this was not an option, orders were cut for this excursion! I am disgusted and horrified that he had to even show his wallet for this event.

In addition to serving as a medic in the 310 MP Batallion, my son is a full-time student and works part-time to fill in the gaps the military doesn't. He takes his responsibility as a soldier very seriously.

I am angered at the way he has been treated. People need to know how some heroes are being treated by their own government. —Rebecca Lawson, West Babylon, N.Y.

[RBHam]

1. Even more shame...

The troops have a duty to humanity to arrest this killer and depose the PNACers...

Don't they know that?

[Cha]

2. Well, that's one mother who has

woken up and smelled yesterday's fish!

"No food for the soldiers"..how cheap cut-rate is that?

[Stephanie]

4. $40 MILLION spent on the parties, and no FOOD for the soldiers

Is there no limit to their exploitation of them?

[MADem]

8. There's NEVER any food at those things, NEVER

Get there early and you may get a handful of pretzels. There's also NO CHAIRS, a pay as you go bar, drinks are watery and overpriced, and if you have to go pee before the boyking shows up, you are not allowed back in till after he leaves. Also, if you have to pee as he is leaving, you can't go until the SS has cleared the site.

Those things are overpriced, stupid, horrible. You'd have more fun at a junior high dance in a gymnasium with a leaky roof....that's kind of the mood of these things, anyway. And actually, I am not being "party specific" about it, either. They all stink, they're faux rewards (you still have to pay the entrance fee) for sucker contributors. No one goes to them who has a degree of sophistication or understanding, at least not more than once, and then the lesson is learned!

But the order to attend the event was illegal. If the kid had paid orders, that's illegal, because it is an improper use of military cash and if the kid got invitational/no-cost orders, that's illegal, too, because you can't force someone to do something and not pay them for it. That kid needs to drop a dime on the one giving the order.

[Stephanie]

9. The order was ILLEGAL!

Now you're talking! Let's look into this!

[Stephanie]

18. It looks like there was food at one of the balls, at least >

It's not an entirely new phenomenon -- the Clinton administration baby-sat reporters from time to time -- but the president's inaugural committee took it to new levels of silliness during the various presidential balls. Several reporters covering the balls were surprised to find themselves being monitored by young "escorts," who followed them from hors d'oeuvres table to dance floor and even to the bathroom.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46409-2005Jan29.html

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. They needed that money for the special Bush Inaugural coke.

:eyes:

Now on sale at Ebay.

[Stephanie]

28. That cannot be real!

Is that real?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

30. It is!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=13603&item=7129141651&rd=1

[Stephanie]

32. Clearly it's real because the Freeper can't spell, as usual >

COCA-COLA BOTTLE PRESIDENT G.W.BUSH INAUGRATION 1-20-05

PLEASE EXCUSE THE PICTURE I TRIED MY BEST TO GET THE WORDS CLEAR ON THE IMAGE.THE BOTTLE HAS A PICTURE OF THE WHITE HOUSE, UNDER THE PICTURE IT SAYS( THE INAUGURATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES )

GEORGE W BUSH

ON TOP OF BOTTLE UNDER CROWN IT HAS THE DATE OF JANUARY 20,2005.

THESE BOTTLES WERE MADE SPECIAL ORDER AND LESS THAN 15,000 BOTTLES WHERE MADE.THEY WHERE GIVEN OUT TO GUESTS AT THE INAUGRATION.

DONT PASS UP ONE OF THE RAREST BOTTLES COKE HAS EVER PRODUCED.

I WILL ACCEPT PAY PAL OR MONEY ORDER AND WILL SHIP WORLD WIDE

FOR U.S. SHIPPING IN THE LOWER 48 STATES I WILL SEND PRIORITY MAIL THE PRICE IS 4.50 . ALL OTHER AREAS PRICE WILL BE DEPEND ON LOCATION.

IF YOU SEND MONEY ORDER BOTTLE WILL BE SENT AFTER MONEY ORDER ARIVES.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

34. Have you seen the Inaugural Champagne?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4103&item=3955356969&rd=1

[Chelsea Patriot]

35. Korbel...Swill..

[cthrumatrix]

14. we need to get more views if this is true --- if so --- shrub has another

shit-stain on his record

[fooj]

37. LMAO! Good point!

[genieroze]

3. This figures, cannon fodder is replaceable and expendable, and

not worth anything to *. Why should * feed someone who may have to die for his oil.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. The soldiers were mistreated by Bush? No surprise.

The whole thing was just for show...photo-op stuff.
I hope that if this is the truth, it hits the headlines and the Bushites are called to task for it.

[Pam-Moby]

6. How disgusting,

first of all he should have not been ordered to attend. Second of all they could have atleast fed him and provided him a room at bushes cost not his. Maybe the paper should get some feed back.

[Dhalgren]

7. Un-fucking-believable, from every direction!

First, that he would be "ordered" to attend as a guest - not as some sort of duty assignment, but as audience filler! That is absurd.
Second, that he would have to pay any of the expenses, at all is outrageous. He shouldn't even have to front the expenses.
Third, that after all he's been through, and after all the veterans have been through, and with all that they all are going to have to go through in the future (since Caligula is already turning his back on all veterans) - this mother is upset over this? She is "proud" that her son was asked to attend the mass murder's party, but they made him pay his own way and THAT'S what upsets her?

Like I said, from every direction...

[Oversea Visitor]

10. Someone need to ask

Some big shit general some question. This are their men and such insult is an insult to them too.

[Neecy]

11. oh, how I hate these people...

These fake 'patriots' who only use our soldiers as stage props.

Good god, to make them stand there and watch the fat-cats eating lobster, and nobody offers them a crumb. It's fucking SICK.

[fooj]

12. How could they behave so shamelessly?

Those people have vacant, dark souls! How dare Shrub use our soldiers to protect his own self interests! He built a fortress of soldiers around himself on Coronation Day! How pathetic it is to protect yourself from your own fellow citizens! America honored the military on Jan 20th. Shrub honored himself! $40 Billion dollars for what? One thing that Shrub will never have...the respect of his own military! No amount of carrier landings or embroidered jackets can force a man or woman to show loyalty and trust in their leaders. Their president has betrayed them. Their country will not!

[Karenina]

13. They HAVE no shame.

.

[Stephanie]

16. Never had any, never will

But it is possible to humiliate them when they act like this.

[Karenina]

42. I visualize NOISE

about the LEGALITY.

[No Exit]

15. Republicans: The Anti-Veteran Party

Tell it to the freeptards! They're too stupid to see it w/o some help. And there are a lot of military posters among them. Oh, well, I guess people who are career military just get too used to accepting orders unquestioningly.

[Virginia Dem]

17. before we have another meltdown here

has anyone verified this or since it's anti repug do we really need to know if it's true?

[Stephanie]

19. It's from MSNBC - I assume they do some verification before they post

But that is our only source

[thebigidea]

22. oh goodie.

I look forward to your long tenure here as the voice of reason, gently chiding unruly liberals.

[No Exit]

26. You got that right! n/t

[No Exit]

25. Hi there, stranger

I base my assertion not merely on the original post about the soldiers being ordered to attend the coronation, then being made to pay their own way.

I base it on the systematic trashing, by the republican party (do you know any of them?) of every veteran who has run against the demented, alcohol-soaked, misguided, dishonest, scum that the republicans have foisted on us: "Dubya", as SOME PEOPLE are heard to call him.

[TheOnRecord]

20. I kind doubt it

I've got 3 sons in the military, 2 brothers, 7 grandsons and my husband is a retired Colonel. They're all involved in community programs and services. There were 12 buses going to the inauguration from our town and no one was forced to go and didn't have to pay their way. It would be all over everywhere I think if it had any merit.

[diamond14]

24. Whoohooo....TOMBSTONED already.....

too bad...I was going to ask for some clarification, but I guess none is needed....bye....

[No Exit]

27. Sell that sh*t somewhere else...

people here are not kool-aid drinkers.

[Stephanie]

29. Really? Can you give us their names?

I'd like to know more. 12 buses? What town was that?

[Mockingbird]

36. Doubting it -

Whether its authentic or not needs to be checked out, I agree FWIW.

The source itself needs to be scrutinized before getting 100% on this bandwagon to be sure that its not a hoax by either side.
(One would hope the left isn't creating the same nonsense as the right).

Sorry to be suspicious - but someone unknown, with only 10 posts on the forum telling me a counter story has no more substantive credibility than the original storyline.

It IS believable from this bunch, but we still need to know.
And don't let the story die just because the water is muddied with conflicting (non)"evidence." That's the easiest trick perpetrated upon the American public - add confusing noise, so that people will go for the handiest resolution.

Anyway, arguing that because one's 3 kids were NOT ordered, doesn't prove whether or not the one(s) in question WAS (were).

They didn't need the entire army there - only a representative number, so why would you feel that de facto it disproves anything? You have not given me a basis for either believing it wholeheartedly, nor disbelieving it. At least there's a name on the original letter that can be verified as existing or ficticious. So we need to.



(Nonsequitor Aside:
For example, I'm still not convinced that the 60 minutes report on Bush's national guard record wasn't a setup by the right of overzealous producers, who fell over their own feet to get the story out, etc. But I can't claim that with any certainty, but its in line with the past record).

Follow the money, follow the resultant advantage vs downside of something being discovered as a phony.

There was no large downside for Bush's cronies & wannabes. The risk factor wasn't there. It shut down discussion of the real fact that he was avoiding everything that paper said, even if that one fabricated record wasn't valid corroboration. The guys the "broke" the story run a blog which has been instrumental in bolstering the SwiftBoat lies & other nonsense stories).

[Stephanie]

44. Along similar lines, I wonder if you're aware of Project Mockingbird?

Might interest you:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/wiki.phtml?title=Project_Mockingbird

[spanone]

21. Soldiers are fodder for bush* regime. He could care less.

Otherwise he would be raising veterans benefits instead of lowering them....he is ALSO lying about giving the soldiers 'everything they need' in Iraq. Flat out lying.

[Individualist]

31. This is how the cabal supports our troops n/t

[southernleftylady]

33. I told this story to a military wife and she thinks its B.S.

she said that if he was truely "ordered" then all his arrangments would have been taken care of.. she said that he was prob. offered a day off to go but not "ordered"

[Misunderestimator]

38. Yeah, like a soldier can assume his armored car is fully armored

when he is ordered into battle...

[Mockingbird]

39. Orders?

Well, an "order" can be an order without calling it that.

It might be a very emphatic recommendation that if you wish to remain in the good graces of your superiors, it would "behoove you to attend."


But let's go back to asking for verification.
Its harder being reality based.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. As a military wife myself (for five years) this is called

mandatory fun time.

[RockStar]

41. Good!! Keep giving to Bush and CO

[nostamj]

43. a SHOW of HANDS, please...

if you are honestly, actually SURPRISED by this?