Wow; Robert Gibbs, Barack's Sr. Strategist may have just put to bed the troop visit

[EV_Ares]

issue on Morning Joe. Scarborough tried to get him on it but couldn't.

Scar talked about the fact it was he wouldn't have cameras.

Gibbs said McCain couldn't even run a campaign ad about it without showing footage of Obama visiting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Scar says yeah but that is because Obama had the cameras he wanted over there.

Gibbs said wait a minute. All of that footage was Armed Forces cameras and news footage. Barack didn't have any press with him other than the military. Ask Andrea Mitchell who was sitting in the back trying to figure out how she was going to be able to get to him.

Also, Gibbs said it was a congressional delegation over there where he could visit the troops.

Since the Pentagon said it would be considered a campaign event if he did it in Germany, they decided they were not going to make the troops a political football between the campaigns and would not go.

He said you can bet McCain had two press releases ready to go. One if he visited them and One if he did not go and visit them.

[stray cat]

1. Gibbs answer was straight forward and logical - Scar. was dense.

[liberal N proud]

Thank you very much

They just said the Pentagon did it so McGoo needs to pull the ad off the air immediately.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Republicons will do ANYTHING to keep from talking about real issues

Because they have a track record of FAIL, and only a plan for more FAIL.

So they keep making up bullshit non-issues to distract from their MASSIVE FAIL.

[Mass]

3. In fact, Gibbs reinforced McSame's point. His point is that Obama did not go because cameras could

not go. (I do not know the facts behind but the claim is that the Pentagon told him to go without the reporters and that is when they cancelled). This is this claim that needs to be countered.

Saying that there are footage of troops and Obama in Afghanistan reinforce the idea that it is only a photoop.

[annabanana]

6. wrong. .

He didn't want the visit to be characterized as a "campaign stop".. (In fact, the Pentagon has rules about that)

[Mass]

8. May be you're right, but my point is that Gibbs did not smash McSame claim, on the contrary

Of course, people can choose to close their eyes and believe that Democratic Strategists are never wrong, but history should tell us otherwise.

[EV_Ares]

9. Don't even know what you are saying there. Facts are facts and he proved it which is

why Scarborough got so quiet and couldn't counter and it was proved that cameras were not the issue at all. Barack did not want to use the troops or let McCain use them in a political football for campaign purposes.

[stray cat]

10. Not what I heard at all. Campaign money paid for the Germany trip

not for the Mid East trip which was a congressional trip. Honest use of public funds is how it sounds.

[Mass]

11. Not saying it is true, but this is the claim McSame made on TV yesterday.

That Obama did not go once the Pentagon said : "no camera" and it is obviously the one that needs to be debunked. Showing media photos of Obama with the troops does not do that.

I am not criticizing Obama here, just the answer given by Gibbs (if he wants to debunk a meme, at least he should know what the meme is: the meme is that Obama does not care about the troops except for a photo op. It is a meme that has started when Obama headed to Afghanistan.).

[stray cat]

12. The difference is ethics about the use of campaign funds versus camera access.

[Mass]

13. Once again, it is not about the truth. It is about debunking memes.

I have no issue with what Obama did. I have an issue with the fact the answer in the OP is effective. In my opinion, it is not.

[EV_Ares]

7. No Gibbs proved that "cameras" was not the issue at all. McCain was

saying he visited the troops in Iraq and Afganistan because he had cameras. Gibbs stated they had nothing to do with the cameras that was the military and that was their decision about press and cameras. The reason he did not go was not about cameras or anything other than the Pentagon said if he went it would be considered a campaign event. That is what stopped them from going knowing they were in a situation where the troops would be used in a campaign football.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mass]

15. LOL. As ridiculous as it gets. Because I've probably been supporting Obama for longer than

you did.

As for what I am lying about, I was just commenting on the OP. I was stating that Gibbs was not following the right approach. Feel free to believe that he did, but do not attack people who disagree.

[EV_Ares]

17. You might check your hearing because Scarborough just admitted that Gibbs proved

his point and admitted about how disciplined they are and how well he explained the troop visit issue.

Its over and done with regardless of what you think.

[Pirate Smile]

19. Gibbs said Cameras were never an issue because cameras were never going to go

with Barack to visit the troops in Germany. The issue was that the Pentagon said it was viewed as a political trip because it was paid for with campaign funds.

Gibbs did say that cameras were never going to go with Barack just as they had not gone with Barack when he visited troops at Walter Reed.

I agree that this wont shut up the Republicans because they never let facts interfere with their talking points.

Karen Tumulty made this same point over the weekend on Swampland:

July 26, 2008 10:22
Obama Arrives Home, to a Not-So-Warm Welcome from McCain

Posted by Karen Tumulty
......

UPDATE: Jake Tapper notes the ad also claims that Obama cancelled the trip because he was told he couldn't bring the media. There is absolutely no evidence for that one. The campaign insists that the plan had been to leave us at the airport, and the military has confirmed that arrangements were being made to hold media and staff there at a passenger terminal.

As I have heard the campaign's explanations for this decision over the past few days, as well as the attacks, I am convinced that it comes down to something that campaign strategist Robert Gibbs told reporters on the plane: When the campaign learned of the Pentagon's concerns (Wednesday night), they realized that, however they structured the hospital visit, they were going to come in for criticism.

So they had a decision to make, and they had to do it on the fly. Their choice was to take a hit for going (even if it was a private detour from a very public campaign swing, Obama was going to be accused of using wounded troops for political gain), or a hit for not going (the charge would be--and has been--that Obama didn't care about wounded troops). They decided to take the latter. We'll see, as this controversy plays out, whether this was the right decision.


http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/07/obama_arrives_home.html

[Mass]

23. Thanks Pirate, I missed that part. As it is obviouskly the important claim,

happy to see Gibbs made the point.

[Pirate Smile]

24. You're welcome.

:)

[annabanana]

4. Gibbs nailed it. . . . .n/t . . (rec for visibility)

[ErinBerin84]

5. haha, didn't see it.

But all of Andrea's whining last week about how it was military footage and they wouldn't allow "real journalists" in with them finally paid off!


Joe is such a dolt. It can't be said enough.

[chimpymustgo]

16. Scar just conceded the point to Gibbs in the final segment.

Said he "handled it well".

[EV_Ares]

18. Hey, thanks I saw that and just posted it too. Man Gibbs is one impressive guy. I just sit there

listening to him nail it point by point. How soon do you think McSame will pull the ad?

[ellacott]

20. What's ironic is that Andrea was defending Obama's decision

She reported this a couple of times on Joe's show. At the time Joe appeared to go on with Andrea's explanation.

[Pirate Smile]

26. That was exactly why Andrea was throwing a fit last week. She obviously flew to Iraq to

try to manage to sneak in some access but she couldn't get any.

[Alter Ego]

21. Just to nitpick...

David Axelrod is Obama's senior strategist. Gibbs is his head media relations liaison.

[EV_Ares]

22. Yeah, you are right, thanks. Got too excited about Gibbs kicking ass, eom.

[Pirate Smile]

28. Scarboy called him a senor strategist and Gibb's title changed during the

increase in campaign staff to run up to the General.

Obama Revamps Communication Team For General Election
14 Jul 2008 02:40 pm

Obama campaign national press secretary Bill Burton just sent out a press release announcing some promotions and new roles for the campaign's key press aides. Conveniently, many of these folks logged off their Instant Messenger accounts so I can't immediately ping them to see what's up.

What had been long de facto is now de jure: Robert Gibbs is now a "senior strategist for communications and message," and as such won't be the official director of communications. Gibbs remains one of Obama's closest and most trusted confidants, knows everything about what's going on, and has a gift for language. He protects Obama's image and message -- often with the instinct of a cougar watching over a cub.

Dan Pfeiffer is now communications director. He had been Gibbs's chief deputy, but had taken the lead in communications and press planning. He is a former senior aide to Sen. Evan Bayh. Pfeiffer is reported to be a good manager of people.

Strategist Anita Dunn's role seems to have been elevated; she is now "overseeing the campaign's communications, research and policy departments."

Linda Douglass retains her role as traveling press secretary and senior adviser.

Iowa communications director Josh Earnest has been promoted to deputy communications director. Earnest hosted a campaign conference call today on Iraq .

Bill Burton retains the title of National Press Secretary. Campaign statements will be in his name. He needs to send Fox News a better photo of himself. The one they use looks outdated.

Christina Reynolds, the research director for John Edwards in '04 and '08, is now the Director of Rapid Response. Spokesmen Tommy Vietor and Hari Sevugan will work with the press on rapid response.

Other spokespeople include Nick Shapiro and Moira Mack; Shapiro is a veteran of the campaign's operations in Oregon, Texas and California, and Mack worked for Hildebrand Tewes before the campaign.

Wendy Morigi, ex-of Sen. Jay Rockefeller's staff, is now the national security spokesman. Dag Vega will head surrogate operations and Joelle Terry will be the senator's chief interview booker. regional communications directors include

Gannett Tseggai – Northeast
Amy Brundage – Midwest
Shannon Gilson – Southwest
Dan Leistikow – Industrial Midwest
Melanie Roussell – South
Nayyera Haq – West

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/07/obama_revamps_communication_te_2.php

[EV_Ares]

29. Hey, thanks again, can blame it on the scar, regardless, Barack really has a great

staff doesn't he. I don't think I have ever seen an organization run as well as this. So, I would say we should have a great running organization in the WH should he win this election. Also, watching him with Tom Brokow on Meet the Press, this guy can think on his feet, is quick, intelligent, all the things we need in a leader.

[Benhurst]

25. Republican talking points are like Michael Myers in Halloween.

They are the bogeymen of political discourse.

[Eurobabe]

27. I stopped watching Joey Scab and Pat Pukecannon

about 45 minutes into the show today, they were nauseating me. :puke: