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Obama Cancels Visit to Military Hospital
One casualty of Sen. Barack Obama's busy schedule on his foreign trip was a planned visit to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. military hospital located at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany. The cancellation left Obama with a gap in his official schedule this morning in Berlin before he boarded a plane to fly to Paris for a five-hour stop over en route to London. Obama was to visit with troops receiving treatment for wounds inflicted in Iraq and Afghanistan at Landstuhl. Now, the cancellation, and the Obama campaign's shifting explanations for it, are raising questions.Obama adviser Robert Gibbs initially said that the visit was canceled because the campaign thought, "it would be inappropriate to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a trip funded by the campaign." That remark drew sharp criticism from Sen. John McCain, who said, "Barack Obama is wrong. It is never inappropriate to visit our men and women in the military." The McCain campaign also pointed out the Sen. McCain paid a visit to wounded troops on his last trip to Iraq. In response to increased questioning on the cancellation from the press, and perhaps to Sen. McCain's criticism, the Obama campaign later said that it was the military that requested that Obama not make the trip to the base. "We learned from the Pentagon last night that the visit would be viewed instead as a campaign event," a campaign adviser said.
But the military is disputing that explanation. A spokesman for the base told NBC News that the base was prepared to host Sen. Obama, as long as some conditions were met.
"[H]e could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers. Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit.
We didn't know why [the trip was canceled]. He was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."
Obama's campaign has steadfastly refuted the characterization of his trip as political. But the campaign's original explanation for removing the military hospital stop was based on the perception that the visit would be viewed as political. This is a pretty serious mistake by the campaign. The controversy will have no impact on the leaders and crowds Obama will encounter on the remainder of his trip. But it will resonate in the United States, and especially among those whom the trip was intended to convince that Sen. Obama had the experience to be the leader of the free world. Furthermore, the shifting explanations for the cancellation will cause the press to be more skeptical of the campaign's statements. That is something no candidate can afford, much less one who has enjoyed a largely uncritical relationship with the mainstream press.
Recent Comments
(Page 1 of 119)SoldierBlue12:03PMJul 25th 2008
Sounds more like the Military was manipulating the idea rather than Obama and for what reason. They would certainly let Bush or McBush visit and have a photo ops session.
John12:27PMJul 25th 2008
He cares more about what Berliners think rather then the men and women of the military who he might command as president? It probably would have been better for his election if he had visited the soldiers because they can actually vote for him in November. He panders to people who don't matter one bit to his election.
Liz12:39PMJul 25th 2008
SoldierBlue
Nice try Soldier but the facts are the facts and no amount of spin from this Senators campaign will change it. Sen. Obama decided no advisors, no camera, then no visit.
Liz12:49PMJul 25th 2008
The rules are the rules Blue, you should no that, I think Donna Brazile, repeat that statement several times. Those rules would apply to McCain as well. I do feel you know that, but spin away.
DANIELLE12:50PMJul 25th 2008
Obama showing his true side. If there was not any media coverage in it for Obama, this is what you should expect. That is alright with me because his popularity is declining as I write.
Vote smart, vote anyone other Than Obama
david knowles12:50PMJul 25th 2008
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/pentagon_confirms_that_it_told.php
sp712812:52PMJul 25th 2008
why's the media following this clown around, like a dog following someone with a porkchop!!!!!!
Davidg12:55PMJul 25th 2008
Simple, As soon as his staff discovered there was no photo op offered, they cancelled.
Once again, Obama speaks volumes about himself, and nobody listens.
Tom12:55PMJul 25th 2008
John said:
"He cares more about what Berliners think rather then the men and women of the military who he might command as president? It probably would have been better for his election if he had visited the soldiers because they can actually vote for him in November. He panders to people who don't matter one bit to his election."
-------------------------------------------
Obama would have criticized if he had visited and he is being criticized for not visiting. Those criticizing would have said that he was there strictly for a photo opportunity and was using the troops for that purpose. Your post is a prime example of the negative.
PJ1:03PMJul 25th 2008
Damned if you do...Damned if you don't...Stop drinking the hateraide...Obama is the next President of the United States of America...Amen
Davidg1:10PMJul 25th 2008
Let's see.
He could have visited the military hospital, without cameras rolling.
How is that damned if he did? How is that using the troops?
Obama cares about Obama and nothing else. Believe it now or believe it later.
RawleyCoop1:34PMJul 25th 2008
Everything Obama does is carefully examined and every word and gesture is put under a microscope. It is then all spun and re-spun and spun again. His people spin it to make him look good, the media spin it to make an interesting story, and his opponents spin it to make him look bad.
That is just the reality of being a presidential candidate. So OF COURSE this trip is one big photo op. Everything he or Senator McCain does is one big photo op.
So why on earth would he agree to go somewhere when the rules are that his spinners and the media spinners are not allowed in, but the Bush (and so McCain) spinners have free access. If all he does is walk in and wave, the "military photographers" will make it somehow look bad.
He would be a total fool to walk into any building under those conditions. Just as McCain would be a fool to walk into any room where the only witnesses and photographers were on Senator Obama's payroll.
And clearly, neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain is a total fool. So the military "invitation" is all spin and political double talk. They knew full well they were making it impossible for Senator Obama to visit.
To bad for all the wounded who got cheated out because of cheap political game playing on the part of the military higher-ups.
Gary A. Anderson1:39PMJul 25th 2008
THIS IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OBAMA, THE CHAMELEON, WITHOUT THE MEDIA,CHANGING HIS TRIP. OF COURSE, THE MILITARY'S VIEW THAT OBAMA VISIT TO THE LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CENTER IN RAMSTEIN, GERMANY "WOULD BE VIEWED..AS A CAMPAIGN EVENT" IS CORRECT. FOR THE RATIONAL PERSON, OBAMA HAS NO CREDIBILITY. EVERYTHING THIS FIRST-TERM SENATOR DOES IS BASED ON POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY. HIS ONLY INTEREST IS THE WHITE HOUSE.
Freddy Vicente2:03PMJul 25th 2008
GUTLESS COWARD!! FIRST HE SAYS OUR TROOPS KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE AND TRIES TO MAKE NICE WITH THE TROOPS. NOW HE CANCELS BECAUSE HE CANNOT BRING THE MEDIA. WHAT A LYING PIECE OF @#T
Bob2:11PMJul 25th 2008
Get the real story , Obama snubbs wounded soldiers ...
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/07/24/obama-snubbs-injured-soldiers-workout-will-media-care
Bob2:24PMJul 25th 2008
Don't TELL ME WORDS DON'T MATTER . He cares for no-one but himself - cancels visit to (WOUNDED) military hospital , for a WHAT ??? A photo
Doctor Bob2:26PMJul 25th 2008
Sounds like if Obama couldn't capitalize on the hospital visit to advance his political image, then it wasn't important enough to make. So much for "support the troops." Obama obviously views the troops as political tools, to be used when it is convenient for him, and abandoned instantly when they cease to be useful to him. And this scumbag Chicago politican wants to be Commander in Chief? He is a disgrace to himself and the nation!
SoldierBlue2:36PMJul 25th 2008
I dont spin...like the song says.."Men who mean just waht they say" Im a Soldier I dont lie and I dont lower myself to spinning mud. I swore to defend my country from all enemies including you.
The Military commander in charge of that hospital played politics ..Obama called them anyway.
SoldierBlue2:37PMJul 25th 2008
Freddy Vicente Waht Army hae you fought for..Republicans are the biggest GUTLESS Chickens on this planet.
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Liz12:03PMJul 25th 2008
The trip was canceled by Sen. Obama because he was told he could not bring Media and was limited to the amount of advisors he could bring. The troops had prepared for his visit and were told that the request had been canceled by the Obama Campaign.
So if the Media couldn't photograph Sen. Obama speaking with our wounded, IT WAS A NO DEAL FOR THE SENATOR. THIS IS WHO YOU WANT TO LEAD OUR NATION??? AS for GERMANY, free beer and pizza, a rock band performance and BINGO 200,000 people. WHAT A FARCE THIS SENATOR IS!!!