Why Did Obama Skip Arlington?

[bodecea]

The letter was from May 2009, not May 2010.

He had plenty of time make his plans in consideration of its contents.

If that is true....I missed the year...yes, there would be plenty of time.

 

[boedicca]

It is true. The date on the letter is May 18, 2009.

 

[G.T.]

I didn't say he doesn't love America. I said he was politically tone deaf and would be well advised to follow Clinton's example regarding Arlington.

"he should use his actions regarding the Troops for political purposes"

 

[boedicca]

No. He should make an extra effort to uphold traditions that are appropriate to the leadership and CIC roles of the Presidency.

 

[G.T.]

No. He should make an extra effort to uphold traditions that are appropriate to the leadership and CIC roles of the Presidency.

Which he did, at Lincoln. Your bitching about which Cemetary it was is pure "waa I didn't get my waay" baby shit and/or an obsession with criticizing him. Either way, you need a life because there's nothing at all whatsoever to this story.

 

[bodecea]

No. He should make an extra effort to uphold traditions that are appropriate to the leadership and CIC roles of the Presidency.

Where is going to Arlington a firm tradition?

 

[Caroljo]

interesting that this troll thread was posted today given it's been proven, how many times? that bush and reagan both had their VP's go to arlington.

i guess they skipped it for the same reason.

nutters.

You're right...Bush and Reagan did miss it before. They had other obligations at the same time (which had to do with presidential duties)...they didn't just skip it so they could go on vacation like obama did! There was absolutely NO reason for obama to take his vacation at that time, it could have waited a few more days. So it just shows how important our military is to him.
My son is a Sgt in the Army, he just made it through special forces selection (and was selected!!)...he loves the Army...he just doesn't like the so called leader of our country! And that's a feeling that many in the military have. Obama has shunned them and shunned all Americans by his uncaring attitude.

 

[WillowTree]

This thread belongs in Conspiracy Theories.

When Obama isn't controlled by blacks or Jews, he hates blacks and Jews...more stupid rightwingloon talking points colliding.

why? was the letter real or not? if not then conspiracy theory.. but I'm betting you just don't like the implications right??

 

[boedicca]

No. He should make an extra effort to uphold traditions that are appropriate to the leadership and CIC roles of the Presidency.

Where is going to Arlington a firm tradition?

You added Firm. I said it was a tradition. It has been a regular ceremony performed by a President (or delegated to Vice President for decades). Even Clinton recognized it.

Obama is Tone Deaf on this issue. Clinton handled it better.

 

[WillowTree]

This is Rich.. did you read the names on the letter??? Billy Boy Ayres.. bomber of la pentagon.. whooopie dooopsie.

 

[SuMar]

Obama is the president, he should have been the one at Arlington, not the vp.

 

[boedicca]

This is Rich.. did you read the names on the letter??? Billy Boy Ayres.. bomber of la pentagon.. whooopie dooopsie.

Good catch!

 

[Samson]

This thread belongs in Conspiracy Theories.

When Obama isn't controlled by blacks or Jews, he hates blacks and Jews...more stupid rightwingloon talking points colliding.

why? was the letter real or not? if not then conspiracy theory.. but I'm betting you just don't like the implications right??

Why not?

He was elected on the rather feeble Platform of Change, and those that voted for Change are getting Change: CIC that ignores tradition, and returns to Chicago to hang out with the local Socialists.

 

[Ravi]

This thread belongs in Conspiracy Theories.

When Obama isn't controlled by blacks or Jews, he hates blacks and Jews...more stupid rightwingloon talking points colliding.

why? was the letter real or not? if not then conspiracy theory.. but I'm betting you just don't like the implications right??

Why not?

He was elected on the rather feeble Platform of Change, and those that voted for Change are getting Change: CIC that ignores tradition, and returns to Chicago to hang out with the local Socialists.

People buried in the Lincoln National Cemetery are socialists? News to me...and even if true and they fought for their country, why does that matter?

 

[boedicca]

He didn't hang out at the cemetery.

 

[Samson]

why? was the letter real or not? if not then conspiracy theory.. but I'm betting you just don't like the implications right??

Why not?

He was elected on the rather feeble Platform of Change, and those that voted for Change are getting Change: CIC that ignores tradition, and returns to Chicago to hang out with the local Socialists.

People buried in the Lincoln National Cemetery are socialists? News to me...and even if true and they fought for their country, why does that matter?

Actually, I was referring to the Co-signees of the letter in the OP: Quite a large % are from the Chicago Area, and all are socialists.

 

[boedicca]

Bill Ayers.

heh.

 

[Ravi]

Why not?

He was elected on the rather feeble Platform of Change, and those that voted for Change are getting Change: CIC that ignores tradition, and returns to Chicago to hang out with the local Socialists.

People buried in the Lincoln National Cemetery are socialists? News to me...and even if true and they fought for their country, why does that matter?

Actually, I was referring to the Co-signees of the letter in the OP: Quite a large % are from the Chicago Area, and all are socialists.

Not what you said...but, regardless. How is not honoring the Confederacy a bad thing? IMO, they were fucktards that wanted to keep slaves because they were too lame to figure out a way to make money otherwise.

 

[Samson]

People buried in the Lincoln National Cemetery are socialists? News to me...and even if true and they fought for their country, why does that matter?

Actually, I was referring to the Co-signees of the letter in the OP: Quite a large % are from the Chicago Area, and all are socialists.

Not what you said...but, regardless. How is not honoring the Confederacy a bad thing? IMO, they were fucktards that wanted to keep slaves because they were too lame to figure out a way to make money otherwise.

I'm not saying anyone should "Honor the Confederacy."

However, in NOT visiting Arlington Cemetary on Memorial Day, Obama seems do have done just that!

The location was a famous Freedman Town for 30 years, and contains the graves of many black soldiers....I would only expect some white cracka president NOT to honor Arlington during Memorial Day!

 

[Quantum Windbag]

An interesting letter sent to Obama last year by a group of black academics and historians encourages him to not participate in the Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington:

May 18, 2009

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

Since the administration of Woodrow Wilson, presidents have sent annually a wreath to the Arlington Confederate Monument. Prior to the administration of George H. W. Bush, this was done on or near the birthday of Jefferson Davis. Starting with George H.W. Bush, it has been done on Memorial Day.

We ask you to not send a wreath or some other commemorative token to the Arlington Confederate Monument during your administration or after.

There are several reasons as to why this monument, a product of the Nadir in American race relations, should not be honored, and we list and explain them in this letter.

The monument was intended to legitimize secession and the principles of the Confederacy and glorify the Confederacy. It isn’t just a remembrance of the dead. The speeches at its ground-breaking and dedication defended and held up as glorious the Confederacy and the ideas behind it and stated that the monument was to these ideals as well as the dead. It was also intended as a symbol of white nationalism, portrayed in opposition to the multiracial democracy of Reconstruction, and a celebration of the re-establishment of white supremacy in the former slave states by former Confederate soldiers. In its design it also tells wrong history, boasting fourteen shields with the coat of arms of fourteen states. Thus it claims that Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland were part of the Confederacy. They weren’t. ....

Dear President Obama: Please Don't Honor the Arlington Confederate Monument


More on this at DailyKos:

Daily Kos: State of the Nation



The optics here are not good.

While it is interesting that these racist decided to urge the President not to honor the dead of the Confederacy, Obama would not have gone there even if he had gone to Arlington. That ceremony is at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, not the Confederate War Memorial.

I think Obama simply chose another venue to honor our soldiers, one closer to his home, and his heart.