Arlington/Memorial Day Presidential Precedent

[kwc57]

Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. I heard this on Fox and Friends yesterday morning.

Which recent Presidents went to Arlington on Memorial Day and which didn't?

In his eight years as President, Reagan went halfies on honoring our fallen soldiers.

didn't attend =http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/052581.pdf

attended http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/053182.pdf

didn't attend http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/053083.pdf

attended http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/052884.pdf

attended http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/052785.pdf

attended http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/052686.pdf

didn't attend http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/052587.pdf

didn't attend http://www.reaganlibrary.com/whdpdf/053087.pdf

Unfortunately, the Clinton Library does not have each day broken down like the Reagan Library, so it isn't as easy to find and link to since it is by year and is hundreds of pages. According to Fox, Clinton attended every year.

 

[Ravi]

Who wrote Ronnie a letter that made him avoid Arlington?

 

[Sherry]

Well I just can't get over the shock that FNC would report such facts.

 

[xotoxi]

Cool find about the Reagan Diaries.

Check this one out (see page 3):

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/whdpdf/033081.pdf

 

[kwc57]

Well I just can't get over the shock that FNC would report such facts.

Actually, they reported it incorrectly. They said Reagan never attended and always sent Bush Sr in his place. Looking at his schedules from his library, they got it only half right. Could be the same for Clinton. I'm not digging thru a 1,000 page annual PDF to find out.

Bottom line, talk radio and pundits are trying to make political hay out of something that isn't at all out of the ordinary. Don't these folks do any fact checking?

 

[Ravi]

Cool find about the Reagan Diaries.

Check this one out (see page 3):

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/whdpdf/033081.pdf

Teddy Kennedy told Reagan not to go to Arlington???

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

 

[xotoxi]

Cool find about the Reagan Diaries.

Check this one out (see page 3):

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/whdpdf/033081.pdf

Teddy Kennedy told Reagan not to go to Arlington???

No. That was the day he was shot.

It was just listed on his daily diary like it was just part of the schedule.

 

[Ravi]

Cool find about the Reagan Diaries.

Check this one out (see page 3):

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/whdpdf/033081.pdf

Teddy Kennedy told Reagan not to go to Arlington???

No. That was the day he was shot.

It was just listed on his daily diary like it was just part of the schedule.

I know, I was just being silly.

Don't you think it is suspicious thought that Teddy tried to call him as he was being wheeled into surgery? Heck, did they even have cell phones back then?

 

[kwc57]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

So you endorse double standards when politically expediant?

 

[bodecea]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

So you endorse double standards when politically expediant?

Well....duh.

 

[manu1959]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

So you endorse double standards when politically expediant?

so is your point, since reagan and bush didn't go it is ok that during a time of war it is ok that obama didn't go....thus obama is just as bad as republicans....

i thought we were going to get change we can believe in....seems we are getting the same old crap....

 

[LibocalypseNow]

We are currently engaged in two Wars. This President should have definitely gone to Arlington. Spin away if it makes you happy but i still believe he made a very bad decision. I think i have a higher power on my side as well. Man,did you see that rain in Chicago? He p*ssed everyone off on this one.

 

[jillian]

so is your point, since reagan and bush didn't go it is ok that during a time of war it is ok that obama didn't go....thus obama is just as bad as republicans....

i thought we were going to get change we can believe in....seems we are getting the same old crap....

it was during time of war when bush sent dick "five deferrment" cheney.

we did get change.... the idiot from texas is out of office along with his neo-con, religious right cohorts.

 

[kwc57]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

So you endorse double standards when politically expediant?

so is your point, since reagan and bush didn't go it is ok that during a time of war it is ok that obama didn't go....thus obama is just as bad as republicans....

i thought we were going to get change we can believe in....seems we are getting the same old crap....

My point is that 24 hour news organizations, talk radio shows and political pundits have got to make a buck and will fabricate issues out of thin air when, where and however they can. They will make accusations without fact checking to see what has happened before. Even George W Bush missed a couple of "war years" from what my research has shown.....but I could be wrong. Not all presidential libraries have made their daily White House schedule as easily availabe at Reagan's has.

People are too eager to hear what they want to hear from their selected echo chamber media sources. The truth here is that Obama is not the only President over the last 30 years to skip going to Arlington on Memorial Day.

Just setting the record straight to be fair and balanced. Like I said, don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. I prefer to be honest in my approach to politics......which I realize is rare.

 

[Ravi]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

So you endorse double standards when politically expediant?

so is your point, since reagan and bush didn't go it is ok that during a time of war it is ok that obama didn't go....thus obama is just as bad as republicans....

i thought we were going to get change we can believe in....seems we are getting the same old crap....

Why is it somehow bad that he went to one national cemetery and not the other?

 

[paperview]

Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. I heard this on Fox and Friends yesterday morning....

Unfortunately, the Clinton Library does not have each day broken down like the Reagan Library, so it isn't as easy to find and link to since it is by year and is hundreds of pages. According to Fox, Clinton attended every year.

Clinton went to every single one, and still the republican's hated him for the fact he DID go.

 

[kwc57]

We are currently engaged in two Wars. This President should have definitely gone to Arlington. Spin away if it makes you happy but i still believe he made a very bad decision. I think i have a higher power on my side as well. Man,did you see that rain in Chicago? He p*ssed everyone off on this one.

Using Drudge's made up headlines for your talking points?

 

[Polk]

Well I just can't get over the shock that FNC would report such facts.

Well, it's misleading, at least based on what I saw. I watched Fox for about 45 minutes yesterday. One guy mentioned in quick passing that Reagan didn't attend some years, but that doesn't balance the fact they had a banner saying "Obama a no-show at Arlington for Memorial Day" (0something along those lines, I'm paraphrasing here, don't recall the exact wording) the entire time.

 

[txlonghorn]

Still a pretty bad decision by this President. He should have gone to Arlington. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. We are currently at War so it's even more important for the Commander in Chief to show up at Arlington. This was a very bad Hopey Changey decision. Unfortunately this President is making a lot of very bad decisions. It's becoming a bad habit for him. I think it was great to see his party in Chicago getting completely washed out. I think someone up there was a bit angry at Hopey Changey over this one. He should have gone to Arlington. Nuff said.

So you endorse double standards when politically expediant?

it's so hilarious to hear that accusation coming from a lib.......