[SkyGem]

As this news story unfolds and becomes better known, people are asking why Obama did not visit our American troops when he had the chance during his recent visit overseas. He did have time to go to the gym just like an elitist, can you imagine? :( But not to visit those courageous men and women who are over there under many times deplorable conditions fighting for our country. It would have made a world of difference to them had he shown them that he truly cares about them enough to visit them. But did he care? Obviously not. He says the Pentagon tied his hands and he just couldn't get loose. But you and I both know the saying "Where there's a will there's a way". Did he want to share time with the troops? Apparently not. It would have detracted too much from his photo-ops of course. And he wants to lead this country and be Commander in Chief of the military? Go figure. Obama does not care about our American troops. He is the Wrong man for the job. The Wrong man to lead this Great Country.

YouTube - Troops

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[tsila1777]

I thought he went there to visit the troops. I guess it was just a photo op.

He flip-flops so much, why does he need the gym, he should get enough exercise by just doing that.

God forbid he should be president.

[BABRAM]

Huh? Meet John McCain.

John McCain -- 61 Flip-Flops and Counting | Election 2008 | AlterNet

"National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush's warrantless wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even "terrible killers," "the worst kind of scum of humanity," and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, "deserve to have some adjudication of their cases," even if that means "releasing some of them." McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country."

4. In February, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain favored closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with Predators, McCain criticized him for it. He's since come to the opposite conclusion.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it.

8. McCain supported moving "toward normalization of relations" with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the United States should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the United States should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a "rogue state rollback" as a focus of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty's behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the "greatest critic" of Rumsfeld's failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as "a mission accomplished." In March 2004, he said, "I'm confident we're on the right course." In December 2005, he said, "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course."

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good idea and a bad idea.

16. McCain said before the war in Iraq, "We will win this conflict. We will win it easily." Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was "probably going to be long and hard and tough."

17. McCain has repeatedly said it's a dangerous mistake to tell the "enemy" when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

18. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

Domestic Policy

19. McCain defended "privatizing" Social Security. Now he says he's against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

20. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn't.

21. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

22. He argued that the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party's policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

23. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won't commit to supporting a regulation bill he's co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris' former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.

24. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

25. McCain's first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn't be "rewarded" for acting "irresponsibly." His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.

26. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn't be allowed.

27. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. before he supported it.

28. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he's pro-ethanol.

29. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

30. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.

Economic Policy

31. McCain was against Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.

32. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated," and "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should." He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a "very strong" understanding of economics.

33. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.

34. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were "too tilted to the wealthy." By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.

35. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.

36. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a "'read my lips' candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?" referring to George H.W. Bush's 1988 pledge. "No new taxes," McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, "I'm not making a 'read my lips' statement, in that I will not raise taxes."

37. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

38. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.

Energy Policy

39. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling; now he's against it.

40. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.

41. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to be voluntary.

42. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

43. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn't.

Immigration Policy

44. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants' kids who graduate from high school. Now he's against it.

45. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.

46. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders "before proceeding to other reform measures." Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he'd never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his "top priority."

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

47. McCain said he would "not impose a litmus test on any nominee." He used to promise the opposite.

48. McCain believes the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration's warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

49. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

50. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn't.


51. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving "feedback" on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.

52. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.

Politics and Associations

53. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn't.

54. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn't.

55. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry's Democratic ticket in 2004.

56. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.

57. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans "deserved" the 9/11 attacks.

58. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

59. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

60. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn't want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he "would taint the image of the 'Straight Talk Express.'" Kissinger is now the honorary co-chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

61. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was "corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff's gay lover." McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally."

[tsila1777]

Well, I would give you a list of Obama's but there is not enough room on this board...

[BABRAM]

You gave it your best. :rolleyes:

[sGt HarDKorE]

Uh obama WAS with the troops. He played at basketball at the gym with soldiers and such, mccain shouldn't he might have a heart attack. And he was going to visit troops out of country but the bush administration told him he couldn't so he canceled everything. Then later they called back and said he could, but it was too late.

The Story Behind a Canceled Obama Visit
By JEFF ZELENY
Published: July 29, 2008

WASHINGTON — For four days, Senator John McCain has sought to keep alive a story about how Senator Barack Obama called off a visit to American troops recuperating from war wounds at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Last week, Mr. McCain's aides took pains to stay away from the controversy. But by Monday, the criticism had been turned into a television commercial and the McCain campaign had tapped a retired soldier to add a personal face to the story.

“I'm sure that Senator Obama could have made no better use of his time than to meet with our men and women in uniform there,” Michael J. Durant, a retired Army soldier, said in a statement released by the McCain campaign. “That Barack Obama believes otherwise casts serious doubt on his judgment and calls into question his priorities.”

Mr. Durant said the stop “was canceled after it became clear that campaign staff and the traveling press corps would not be allowed to accompany Senator Obama.”

That assertion is not correct, Mr. Obama's advisers say. Before his visit to Ramstein Air Base, which is near the medical center, was canceled, the plan called for reporters to stay behind at an airport terminal while Mr. Obama and one adviser met with the troops. Why? The Pentagon does not allow reporters and photographers inside Landstuhl.

For weeks, Mr. Obama had been planning to visit wounded troops in Germany, just as he did in Afghanistan last week and previously had done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Yet the Landstuhl visit carried more risk because it was to come in the middle of an overseas campaign trip.

Robert Gibbs, a senior strategist for the campaign, said Mr. Obama thought he could carry out the visit without being perceived as politicizing it.

But two days before the visit, Pentagon officials told the campaign that only Mr. Obama would be allowed inside the medical center in his capacity as a senator. The adviser who had intended to join Mr. Obama, Scott Gration, a retired major general in the Air Force, was told he could not go along because he was a volunteer campaign adviser.

Mr. Obama was asked by reporters to explain the matter on Saturday in London.

“That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political, and the last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns,” Mr. Obama said. “So rather than go forward and potentially get caught up in what might have been considered a political controversy of some sort, what we decided was that we not make a visit and instead I would call some of the troops that were there.”

The McCain television commercial, which asserts that Mr. Obama chose to go to the gymnasium over visiting troops, is not entirely accurate. Instead of going to Landstuhl on Friday morning, Mr. Obama also conducted an interview with CNN in his hotel in Berlin.

Assertions in early news reports that the Pentagon had told Mr. Obama he could not visit the medical center were incorrect, said Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman. He said the military personnel in Germany had made arrangements for Mr. Obama's visit and were surprised when it was called off.

The cancellation provided one of the few sour notes in an overseas trip that otherwise seemed to be well orchestrated. It offered an opening on a subject, military affairs, that the McCain campaign believes Mr. Obama is vulnerable on.

If the story behind the story of the canceled troop visit has run its course, one question remains: Why didn't Mr. Obama leave his aides behind, even the retired general, and make the visit by himself?

“Even him going alone would likely be characterized by some as a political event,” Mr. Gibbs said in an interview on Monday, adding, “He decided not to put the troops in that position.”

[Wondergirl]

SkyGem's allegations have been shot down yet again.

[Galveston1]

Whatever, it hurt him politically.

[SkyGem]

SkyGem's allegations have been shot down yet again.

(Touching her forehead) Girl, what have you been taking?? Time to leave that stuff alone!

Here you have it from the horse's mouth! Obama even DEFENDS not visiting the troops!

Obama Defends Not Visiting US Troops in Germany | Politicususa

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[sGt HarDKorE]

That doesn't seem to be a good source as it has so many faults in it (look at the comments people posted below on the link u gave). Also it only supports the fact that obama didn't go because the pentagon did not think it was a good idea

[SkyGem]

that doesnt seem to be a good source as it has so many faults in it (look at the comments people posted below on the link u gave). Also it only supports the fact that obama didnt go because the pentagon did not think it was a good idea

Are you saying people are not entitled to post, within reason, what they think? Then by that logic neither should we or anyone else on this forum. You were of the opinion he had visited the troops, now you say he didn't go, which, of course, is correct. He didn't go, by his own admission. That should settle the matter once and for all. Obama Did Not Visit the Troops as originally said. End of story.

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[BABRAM]

that doesnt seem to be a good source as it has so many faults in it (look at the comments people posted below on the link u gave). Also it only supports the fact that obama didnt go because the pentagon did not think it was a good idea

Good point. Just to give you a heads up, here's yet another nutcase opinion that turned out to be false, misleading, and out of context, but it's still out there cruising the internet highway.


FALSE STORY

Subject: Fw: Obama's Field Trip / Photo Op (OPINION PIECE)

Subject: CPT Jeffrey S. Porter's Observation...


Hello everyone,

As you know I am not a very political person. I just wanted to pass along
That Senator Obama came to Bagram Afghanistan for about an hour on his visit
To 'The War Zone'. I wanted to share with you what happened. He got off
The plane and got into a bullet proof vehicle, got to the area to meet with the
Major General (2 Star) who is the commander here at Bagram. As the Soldiers
Where lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn't say a word as
He went into the conference room to meet the General. As he finished, the
Vehicles took him to the ClamShell (pretty much a big top tent that military
Personnel can play basketball or work out in with weights) so he could take
His publicity pictures playing basketball. He again shunned the opportunity
To talk to Soldiers to thank them for their service. So really he was just
Here to make a showing for the American's back home that he is their
Candidate for President. I think th at if you are going to make an effort to
Come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the
Freedom that they are providing for you. I swear we got more thanks from the
NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of
The Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States. I just
Don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-and-Chief.
It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom
For him and our great country.

If this is blunt and to the point I am sorry but I wanted you all to know
What kind of caliber of person he really is. What you see in the news is all
Fake.

In service,
CPT Jeffrey S. Porter
Battle Captain
TF Wasatch
American Soldier
(married and father of 6 children)

_____



TRUTH



Officer: Part of anti-Obama e-mail was wrong - Navy News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Navy Times

Officer: Part of anti-Obama e-mail was wrong


By Matthew Cox and Rick Maze - Staff writers
Posted : Sunday Jul 27, 2008 10:04:27 EDT

An Army officer's negative e-mail account of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's visit with the troops in Afghanistan that set the blogosphere ablaze prompted Army officials to correct aspects of the e-mail and resulted in a statement from the message's author that “some of the information that was put out in my e-mail was wrong.”

The e-mail, signed by Capt. Jeffrey S. Porter at Bagram Airbase, characterized Obama's July 19 visit with soldiers there as contrary to the positive portrayals of the mainstream press.

“As the soldiers where (sic) lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the general,” the e-mail said.

Porter wrote that Obama then went straight to the base's “Clamshell” or recreation facility to pose for “publicity pictures playing basketball” and “shunned the opportunity to talk to soldiers to thank them for their service. I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States. I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-in-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country.”

Army Times sent an e-mail to Porter, a Utah Army National Guard member assigned to the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion, asking if he could verify that he wrote the controversial e-mail and requesting an interview.

Porter's reply declined the interview request, but said:

“I am writing this to ask that you delete my e-mail and not forward it, after checking my sources some of the information that was put out in my e-mail was wrong. This e-mail was meant only for my family. Please respect my wishes and delete the e-mail and if there are any blogs you have my e-mail portrayed on I would ask if you would take it down too.”

When contacted, Tiffany Porter who identified herself as his wife, said: “There were discrepancies in the e-mail, but I am not at liberty to say more.”

The Army refuted the accuracy of the account of the Obama visit.

“These comments are inappropriate and factually incorrect,” Bagram spokesman Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green told the New York Daily News.

Obama didn't play basketball at Bagram or visit the Clamshell, she said.

“We were a bit delayed... as he took time to shake hands, speak to troops and pose for photographs,” Nielson-Green said.

Opinion aside, Obama campaign officials cited factual errors in the e-mail. Porter said Obama had gone to play basketball; Obama aides said that during the trip he only played basketball in Kuwait, not during stops in Iraq or Afghanistan.

An Obama campaign Web site, called “Fight the Smears,” labels it a “lie” that Obama refused to meet with the troops. It includes links to news stories and videos showing Obama interacting with crowds of service members as evidence.

[sGt HarDKorE]

Huh? I never said he visited the troops outside of the country. I was referring to when people said he was working out a gym instead of meeting with troops. When at that gym he was playing basketball with troops and such.

[SkyGem]

A very interesting letter was written by an American Soldier giving a very different opinion on Obama and the troops.

You can view it on the following site. Scroll down just a little and look on the left side of the page for the article "Letter From Soldier". It speaks of what happened in Bagram, Afghanistan. This should be MUST reading for those who want to hear from an American soldier.

Don't Vote for Obama, The Most Complete Anti Obama website


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[sGt HarDKorE]

Skygem, look up 3 posts, BABRAM already discredited that :)

I hate when people don't like a person and make up false stuff, why not just accept that he is who he is a great person.

[SkyGem]

skygem, look up 3 posts, BABRAM already discredited that :)

I hate when people dont like a person and make up false stuff, why not just accept that he is who he is a great person.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!! :D :p :p Kid, the only thing he can discredit is himself and he does a GREAT job at that every time he posts! Of course he would try to discredit anything negative about Obama be it right or wrong. Hasn't he been doing that all along with all his superfluous spin! And about Obama being a great person, that is a matter of opinion quite frankly. Personally, I like Hillary much much better!

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[sGt HarDKorE]

Sorry I didn't know I had to make this any clearer. I meant the links he posted discredited your information.

And Obama being better than hillary is not an opinion of mine, it's the opinion of most americans, else she would have defeated him.

Now please I'm bored I need more things to discredit

[SkyGem]

sorry i didnt know i had to make this any clearer. I meant the links he posted discredited your information.

And Obama being better than hillary is not an opinion of mine, its the opinion of most americans, else should would have defeated him.

Now please im bored i need more things to discredit

Look no further than yourself, kid, you've already done a darn good job discrediting YOU. :)

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[BABRAM]

sGt HarDKorE,

Don't expect honesty from our little hefty trolling SkyFlake. She's a 4'11" 300 pound McCain supporter, never married, no children, that claims to be a Christian minister (formerly in spirit and assigned to the Earth). In other words, a whack job, fruit loop, and nutt case.

[Wondergirl]

sorry i didnt know i had to make this any clearer. I meant the links he posted discredited your information.

And Obama being better than hillary is not an opinion of mine, its the opinion of most americans, else should would have defeated him.

Now please im bored i need more things to discredit

I've always liked you, Sgt. I still do, even more than I did before. May I adopt you?