Thursday, July 24, 2008

Obama Decides Not to See Wounded Soldiers

Nice.

Sen. Barack Obama scrapped plans to visit wounded members of the armed forces in Germany as part of his overseas trip, a decision his campaign said was made because the Democratic presidential candidate thought it would be inappropriate on a campaign-funded journey.

A campaign adviser said the U.S. military saw the visit as a campaign stop.

“We learned from the Pentagon last night that the visit would be viewed instead as a campaign event,” the adviser, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, said in a statement. “Senator Obama did not want to have a trip to see our wounded warriors perveived as a campaign event when his visit was to show his appreciation for our troops and decided instead not to go.”

Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign immediately criticized the move.

“Barack Obama is wrong. It is never inappropriate to visit our men and women in the military,” said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the Republican contender.

Obama could have actually left the press outside and spent a little time with the troops, but I guess that was too much to ask.

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Posted by Owen at 2059 hrs
Foreign Affairs + Military + Politics + Politics - General