Worsens
Already under increasing fire for his handling of an oil spill that
many experts now say will be the worst environmental disaster in U.S.
history, President Barack Obama is riling conservatives and veterans
with his decision to skip the traditional Memorial Day ceremonies at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Instead, he will vacation in Chicago.
The decision not only has angered conservative pundits such as Glenn
Beck but also has riled military families and others who expect the
president to follow tradition on the day reserved for honoring the
sacrifice of America’s soldiers.
On Jacksonville.com, run by the Florida Times-Union newspaper, a
blogger who identified himself as a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy
blasted Obama for being missing in action.
“He is not only MIA for Memorial Day,” wrote Luke Memminger, identified
as a professional pilot. “The economy is faltering. The stock market is
ready to enter a worldwide dive. North Korea is precipitating a war
with South Korea that will involve us. Iran will destabilize the
Mideast by developing a Nuclear weapon soon.
“The coastline of Louisiana is being contaminated through inaction and
inept leadership from the government,” he continued. “A mosque will be
dedicated at Ground Zero on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 massacre.
We still have military deployed and fighting in two war zones.
“Where is Obama? Chicago,” Memminger wrote. “Where are those brave men
and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for Freedom and Liberty?
Arlington Cemetary.”
Traditionally on Memorial Day, the president lays a wreath at the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia,
across the Potomac River from Washington. But Obama plans to speak at
the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Chicago instead.
Vice President Joe Biden intends to take the president's place at the
Arlington Cemetery.
Obama will convene a press conference on Thursday at which he is
expected to announce stringent new offshore oil regulations, as
political pressure mounts amid the gulf disaster.
Obama will take questions from reporters in the East Room of the White
House, an official said. The media appearance will take place a day
before the president's next visit to the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, The
Associated Press reported.
The White House has insisted it has done all it can to mitigate the
spread of the massive oil slick, which is beginning to clog the
southern U.S. coast.
Officials will watch closely on Wednesday as BP makes a fresh attempt
to plug the gushing oil well, more than a month after an explosion
aboard the Deepwater Horizon Rig that set off an environmental
catastrophe.
At KSLA News 12, which covers a region including parts of Arkansas,
Louisiana, and Texas, Web posters also were angry at Obama’s decision
to skip Arlington.
“I am a black woman, and I feel this is so wrong for the president to
do,” one commented. “There is no excuse not to do this. This country
already doesn't do enough to help or take care of people who serve in
the military and this is just an additional slap in the face. The
United States is more than capable of taking better care of those who
serve and who have served.
“It's not all President Obama's fault about not taking care of
veterans, this has been going on for years in this country,” the poster
continued. “Yet you still have men and women who continue to serve,
bless them all.”
Beck blasted Obama over skipping the wreath laying, saying he is "sick
and tired of people believing the lie" that Obama "has respect for the
soldiers."
“Obama is skipping out on a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington Cemetery
because he'll be in Chicago on vacation, I'm sorry, I don't ever, ever
question the president's vacation,” Beck said Tuesday on his nationally
syndicated radio show. “I didn't under Bush, I didn't under Clinton, I
don't under Obama . . .
“I have no problem with the man taking a vacation. But I am sick and
tired — sick and tired — of people believing the lie that this
administration has respect for the police or has respect for the
soldiers of our country. I'm tired of it."
"Obama skipping the Tomb of the Unknowns this weekend for Chicago is
offensive," added Erick Erickson, a conservative commentator for the
RedState blog and CNN. In a Twitter post he wrote, “Obama skipping the
Tomb of the Unknowns this weekend for Chicago is offensive. Chicago can
wait. The Commander-in-Chief has a job to do."
Erickson did acknowledge that a president's missing a wreath laying is
not unprecedented. But in the most recent examples in modern times,
President Ronald Reagan was involved in a contentious economic summit
in 1983, and George H.W. Bush was on the campaign trail in 1992. He
instead spoke at an American Legion event.
“Barack Obama wants to go on vacation — the second vacation he has had
since oil began spilling out of the gulf,” Erickson noted. “That’s okay
though because the oil spilling is George W. Bush’s fault, just like
all the new dead soldiers are George Bush’s fault, too. Why should he
care?
“The problem for Barack Obama is simple,” Erickson continued. “The
troops don’t like him no matter how much the White House propaganda
machine tries to gin up staged pictures of Obama voting soldiers
fawning all over him. But see the tepid response from cadets at West
Point or talk privately with lots of soldiers and sailors and you get
something else — they fundamentally do not respect their commander in
chief.
“There was no question they respected and loved Ronald Reagan. Same
with George H.W. Bush, the last veteran of World War II to serve as
president.”
For some reason, this doesn't surprise me. I'll tell my Grandfather of this, and I'm sure he will ticked off as Hell.
agreed, i mean so far, he is the worst president the US has ever got, except bush ==>(2000 - 2008)
Yeah, Bush was a terrible President. Obama I think will prove worse however. Heck, in my opinion, he already has. This is just another nail in the coffin.
Actually, according to my grandfather he's glad Obama isn't going to Arlington. He says the Obama doing the wreath laying is like p***ing on the graves themselves.
His words, not mine.
You know, come to think of it. I agree with him. I think I'd really like your grandfather, lol. From the sounds of it, we see things in a similar way.
you prob are is his grandfather XD
Dude. I'm only 2 years older than him.
Heh, what a disgrace. I like your Grandfather's point of view though, Vader. :D
"The last President I was a fan of was Reagan"
WHY!?!??!! What the **** did Regan do right?!?!
Just from reading that, you invalidated your thesis in my eyes, so I just won't read any further, I'm sorry, but I try to understand the ideas of everyone, but, no, I just can't read it...
Remember? He defeated Communism with 7 words!
Oh wait thats right, he just pulled the **** move and took credit.
Conservatives can go **** them themselves, oh wait, they can't... The bible forbids them to do so.
Anyway:
"Don't waste your time, on coffins today..."
~Serj Tankian
Amazing how I, the Conservative, simply say that I am not a fan of the President and you, as the Liberal, tell me and all Conservatives to f*ck ourselves.
Which person seems more mature here? So, I don't agree with the President's policies. And you tell me to go f*ck myself? You're pathetic.
I usually don't take an offense to idiodic things like that but what you said... that was just too far. And on one last thing. Not all Conservatives are Religious, so bringing Christianity into your argument just added to its uninformed immaturity.
Go get an education... let your hormones simmer down and try to use facts to make a valid argument next time.
Ah wow, there are a lot of fallacies flying about here. You are both accusing each other of moral bankrupcy, though MattmanDude is being more subtle about it ("Look how respectful I am disagreeing with you, because you are an idiot!") It's this sort of thing that makes US politics so interesting (read; terrifying and polarizing)
Conservatives started the damn war... but I do respect any war veteran. There's a difference between supporting troops and supporting the war. Many people hated the Vietnam War but were willing to thank any veteran who went there.
I'm Canadian, and this ****** me off, it's like he didn't care about Veterans. If my Grandpa was still alive he would have lost his **** if he heard about this.
I'm just going to point out that both Bush and Reagan had other officials lay the wreath other years...