Reminder for MSM: Condi Rice demanded visits with troops kept to a "personal level"

[zulchzulu]

We're starting to hear from the usual suspects (McCain will probably chime in too) that Obama "blew off" visiting troops in Afghanistan and injured troops in Germany so he could make fancy speeches in Berlin and "play hoops" while in Afghanistan.

The problem with that spin is that Condi Rice sent out a "reminder" that presidential candidates could not visit troops on anything more than a personal capacity. Therefore, Obama could not visit the troops in Afghanistan (except those from Illinois) and could not visit injured troops in Germany. If he had, he would have gone over the state department's rules.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has asked US overseas diplomatic missions to provide minimal support to visits by presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, officials said Monday.

In a cable sent Thursday, on the eve of presumptive Democratic candidate Senator Obama's visits to the Middle East and Europe, Rice forbade diplomats from holding events or arranging meetings for them, news reports said. Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, had already traveled to Europe and the Middle East more than four months ago.

But the State Department rejected any notion of favoritism by the administration of Republican President George W. Bush.

(snip)

Rice told US diplomats to treat the candidates as "members of Congress visiting in personal or semi-personal capacities," but "with additional restrictions based on rules related to political activity."

(snip)

She forbade them, however, to "hold or arrange receptions or public events for the candidate," to "arrange the candidate's meetings" or to "use official funds and resources, beyond a de minimis level, to support a political trip."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hh-a9nQcg3QJRYKPPC3l1jzvH3pQ

Let's make sure some of the MSM asshats understand what they are walking into.

[Supersedeas]

1. Joe Skankborough said today that the RW would damn the facts and attack him on this anyways

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Of course they will. And when McCain breaks those same rules

everyone will look the other way.

Condi's Rules: We have the home court advantage and by damn we're going to keep it!

[zulchzulu]

3. Moron Joe should know all about not using facts in his endearing praise of Johnny Songbird

Yeah, facts are for... wussies....

:puke: