It wasn't cancelled by the Obama campaign. The Pentagon cancelled the visit.

Does anyone wonder if John McCain could have withstood the scrutiny that Obama faced, not just this week, but since Obama became a major player? He’s had every word he spoke parsed.  Everything he wears (or does not) is discussed. His wife has been the subject of some very brutal and racist attacks.  The internet attacks and whisper campaigns are in high gear.  He has been called, among other things, unpatriotic, guilty of sedition, an appeaser and a man who would allow a genocidal sectarian violence in Iraq.  His college papers are being reviewed, his ex-pastor the subject of a controversy that still continues and a Muslim who would take the oath of office on the Koran. The list is endless yet he remains composed, in good spirits and available to the press for comment.  He does not sink to the level of comments made by his opponent.  Called a traitor, he says he was “disappointed” by the comment.  He has been attacked by the far right daily and relentlessly. Through all this he has remained cool, calm and, most importantly, kept his integrity. He looks and sounds Presidential.

This past week he was under the nations and worlds microscope.  The press coverage was intense.  How could this “naïve’, “inexperienced” freshman Senator handle the vast array of foreign policy, military and nation security question that would be asked.  Was he up to the task?  How many gaffes will he make?  How will he be received?  This was to be make or break time for Senator Obama.  

He emerged virtually unscathed, the credentials of a world leader, the stature of a President and the credentials to back them up.

In contrast, this past week John McCain called Senator Obama a traitor for wanting to withdraw troops from Iran.  He said he would have allowed sectarian violence to escalate into genocide in Iraq because he did not care.  He called the Obama trip a campaign stunt.  When he went it was a fact finding mission.  He dared him to go and when he does he disparages the trip.  He has compiled a revisionist history of the Iraqi war, forgot that we fought a war in Afghanistan before we invaded Iraq and did not know that Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border.  His surrogate (Ben Stein) called Obama a Nazi. McCain did not distance himself from the remark. Said he would not travel overseas to make a campaign speech.  He did exactly that in Canada just a few weeks ago. He has complained about the press coverage given Obama’s trip while neglecting to say that he did not invite the press along for his.  He lampoons the press as biased, while laughingly calls the press his “base”.  Even the once venerable news organization, CBS, the station of Murrow and Cronkite, deleted a huge gaffe made by the Senator and substituted another answer in his place.  The rest of the mainstream press seems content with giving him a free ride on his misstatements, policies and gaffes. It’s McCain being McCain, just an authentic guy.  Curry favor with McCain and get more access and a better seat on the bus.  Interview after interview no one holds McCain’s feet to the fire and questions his policies, gaffes and outright lies.  No one.  He gets the benefit of the doubt because no one wants to make an American hero look bad.  

If this week is an indication or an insight into the temperament or psyche of a man who could be President, then I say, be scared.  If the tables were reversed and McCain had to face the scrutiny of this week how would he have reacted?  We’ve had some indication from the campaign thus far and his actions of this past week.  Mean spirited, emotional, easily flustered and void of character.  These are not qualities we look for in a President.

After this week, the choice is easy.

Let me guess. He called collect.

Ira, we didn't pay the terrorists.  We paid the Sunni chieftains to pull their support from the guerrilla terrorists...although the effect is the same.  But, giving money to Al Qaeda would've been counter productive and I doubt that you could have bribed them.
Obama/ (I love Hagel but he's socially too conservative for the ticket '08
Mitchell Feldman, Vestal, NY (Sent Friday, July 25, 2008 12:19 AM)
.................................................
The "Sons of Iraq "program paid the Sunni's who were fighting us on the streets of Anbar billions of dollars to stop and take up arms against Al Qaeda.

Your right though, the effect was the same.

Did he tell them that he cancelled his in person visit because he couldn't bring his press corps with him, so he decided that it wasn't worth it?  After all, if Obama makes a visit, and there is no one there to take a picture, does it make a sound?

Good thing the soldiers have caller id so they can screen these annoyance calls.

Honorable - Just like that man that made the call.

You are a good man, Barack Obama

Why does the MSM still not mention that it was the Pentagon that cancelled the visit and not the Obama campaign...well whatever!!!..at least he cares about our troops to not want to send them to an UNECESSARY war that cost tax payers trillions of dollars we had to borrow from CHINA!!

Obama was probably asking the soldiers to give him the maximum allowable campaign contribution.

GThis just speeks to his integrity.  Denied access by the military, he took the time to make calls to the soldiers. What most people do not know is that he frequently makes trips to Walter Reed, no press, no comments.  He won't make political fodder with the sacrifces of our heroes.  This is a deeply compassionate and patriotic man who simply just gets it.

"The Pentagon" blocks Obama from visiting troops

http://www.americablog.com/2008/07/pentagon-blocks-obama-from-visiting.html

Good for Obama, although this probably should have been done without any reporting on it.

Obama has a lot of background and experience with wounded people. There are even more wounds from shootings back in Baracks Chicago district.

Can't wait to hear the GOP spin on this, too. Obama can't do anything right in the eyes of the GOP. He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Well, I've got news for them; I was convinced before he was the only choice, but his overseas trip really cemented that the WORLD is looking for new leadership in America and Obama is the ONLY candidate that can bring that. I can only hope that most Americans see it that way also.....athough I realize I'm counting on the same idiots that elected Bush TWICE. Lord help us.

The Obama Campaign did not cancel this trip.. the State Dept. wouldn't allow it to happen!!!!!  FR - Get with the truth..stop spinning lies about Obama.  

You're going to lose your readership if you don't..  I can promise you.  Morning Joe is going down.. you'll be next!

Good for him.  Too bad the Bush/McCain folks encouraged the Pentagon to cancel the visit.

http://strategy08.wordpress.com

As I listen to Senator Obama now in France, I am reminded that he is a United States Senator on the foreign relations committee and it is most appropriate for him to be visiiting and representing American concerns.  
It was and is right for him to speak to other countries as an elected official to the federal government.
I'm glad he made the call to lthe soldiers.  That also was the rihgt thing to do.
Bush may think he won, but he is the loser in so many ways.  Never will this ocuntry in years to come ever look back at his presidency with anything other than disdain and regret.  In fact, we will have more proof as to the criminal behavior of he and his adminstration, especially in regards to Cheney.

I respect Senator Obama greatly!

Obama wins in the end. The initial snafu was harsh, but making basically anonymous phone calls without the media watching every second is a class move.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

As I listen to Senator Obama now in France, I am reminded that he is a United States Senator on the foreign relations committee and it is most appropriate for him to be visiiting and representing American concerns.  
It was and is right for him to speak to other countries as an elected official to the federal government.
I'm glad he made the call to lthe soldiers.  That also was the rihgt thing to do.
Bush may think he won, but he is the loser in so many ways.  Never will this ocuntry in years to come ever look back at his presidency with anything other than disdain and regret.  In fact, we will have more proof as to the criminal behavior of he and his adminstration, especially in regards to Cheney.

I respect Senator Obama greatly!

As I listen to Senator Obama now in France, I am reminded that he is a United States Senator on the foreign relations committee and it is most appropriate for him to be visiiting and representing American concerns.  
It was and is right for him to speak to other countries as an elected official to the federal government.
I'm glad he made the call to lthe soldiers.  That also was the rihgt thing to do.
Bush may think he won, but he is the loser in so many ways.  Never will this ocuntry in years to come ever look back at his presidency with anything other than disdain and regret.  In fact, we will have more proof as to the criminal behavior of he and his adminstration, especially in regards to Cheney.

I respect Senator Obama greatly!

Since when has being humane become political?  Since the Bush/Cheney administration decreed it to be so.  

We all know that McCain would have been allowed to visit the troops, and would have been lauded when he did so.  

It's time to throw the bums out, and vote Democratic in 2008.

Obama 08

Barack asked the soliders what they thought about his plan to outlaw guns for the military. It makes sense if you think about it. If Obama can get rid of nuclear weapons, then getting rid of guns would be a cinch. Then enemies would "fight" by just yelling at each other.

See? He does care. Not that the MSM was all that helpful in reporting the truth about why he was not given clearance to go.

Is it me, or does it seem the like Pentagon inserted itself into the campaign and played Obama for a fool?  I don't like this story.  If anyone is exploiting wounded soliders here, its the person(s) who told the Obama campaign not to visit.
I'm glad he's making phone calls - hope it helps.

If I were Obama I would be somewhat heart-broken over this incident.  The idea of letting-down our wounded veterans...sad... I wish the campaign would have ignored the warning from the Pentagon and gone anyway (without cameras, of course, which had been the plan).

You can't keep a good man down. This is the man I want to be our President!

As I listen to Senator Obama now in France, I am reminded that he is a United States Senator on the foreign relations committee and it is most appropriate for him to be visiiting and representing American concerns.  
It was and is right for him to speak to other countries as an elected official to the federal government.
I'm glad he made the call to the soldiers.  That also was the right thing to do.
Bush may think he won, but he is the loser in so many ways.  Never will this ocuntry in years to come ever look back at his presidency with anything other than disdain and regret.  In fact, we will have more proof as to the criminal behavior of he and his adminstration, especially in regards to Cheney.

I respect Senator Obama greatly!

Oh please....get over yourself already.  I guess Senator Obama thinks that the millions of people who didn't vote for him are as lamentably unenlightened and naive as the ones who did.

Did Katie Couric dial the numbers for Barack?

Bush/McCain = Dumb & Dumber

Pathetic, Bush and McCain would make the Pentagon keep Obama from visiting the troops.  All you people who were calling out Obama, WHERE ARE YOU KNOW.  Looks like your King and his Jester are the ones to blame.  Absolutely pathetic.  

What, is poor Georgie mad because Obama is more popular than him, or is McCain upset because Obama is showing him how NOT to make a gaffe in foreign country?

Obama probably wants to ask the soliders what it's like to serve their country, you know, honorably, unlike him.

Discernment--one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It amazes me how few people have it.  They voted for Bush, and they can not see the compassion of Obama.  Too Bad.

prrrrrrrrrrrrr....One ringie dingie......prrrrrrrrrr
Two ringie dingies.....

Oh hello this is the guy that doesn't have the time but you've paid the price for this call....
This is a story that needs more explaining...

Why was Obama not really able to go to those bases..?
Clearance problems....?
I smell sensorship again...

Hanes Richard...

No he called using part of the 52M he made last month.  If anyone called collect that'd be McCoo-Coo.  I heard he bribed the Dalai Lama by saying he'd help build a moat around Tibet!

The reason MSM won't say the Pentagon stopped his visit is because they know it is not true.  READ all the other news reporting of the visit even all the liberal media news that the Pentagon did NOT stop them from visiting.  Obama did not want this to be seen as a political stop...  you judge.  But in America you need to read more than one news source to get the story straight.

You just know Obama felt he pulled yet another fast one on McCain. Like, what does McCain know about wounded soliders?

Rather than give the appearance of anything untoward, Sen. Obama cancelled his visit to the wounded soldiers. Another indication of his impeccable judgement. He has more than passed the Commander in Chief threshold while on the world's stage this week.  I'm so proud of Sen. Obama and the hope he embodies for not only the USA but the entire world.

Meanwhile Sen Mac & Cheese is standing in the dairy case of a grocery store, looking like the desperate, out of touch politician he is.  Just when I was about to feel sorry for this man, he practically accuses Sen. Obama of treason and the media barely notices. CBS News slices and dices his interview to cover his ever present lack of knowledge and neither Sen. McCain, nor CBS is called on the carpet for it.

Unbelievable! Had the shoe been on Sen. Obama's feet and he said what McCain said, it would be "news" fodder for weeks.

YOU'LL MAKE A WONDERFUL PRESIDENT, SEN. OBAMA!

Hey, this Obama is a smart, slick politician.  First, he schedules the visit knowing that it's against pentagon policy and will be cancelled, it makes the press and immediately his disciples are duped into thinking the Pentagon is the bad guy.

Then he makes phone calls, which otherwise would be seen as rather cheap and impersonal, but because of all the publicity, his disciples elevate him to even greater heights of deification.

At least he should have known about the policy ahead of time don'tcha think? After all, as the consummate organizer, he couldn't possibly overlooked that as he planned the trip, wrote his speech and shot hoops.

He's a politician, folks.  Never forget that.

Jimmy in Chicago, IL  Another Obama lie---he cancelled the trip.  Not the Pentagon.  

Obamatrons will be anything.

Vote McCain to preserve our Democracy!!!!

BearCat (Sent Friday, July 25, 2008 12:24 PM)
Obama was probably asking the soldiers to give him the maximum allowable campaign contribution.
---------------------------------------------------------
Ironically, they may have have already given. Many service men have seen and realize Senator Obama is the person to mend bridges and change the face of America!

Why always look for the negative angle? If Obama had visited the troops, the MSM and McCain would have pegged him Obama as exploiting the troops for political gain. Since Obama felt he couldn't visit the troops--at the Pentagon's orders--he's being pegged as not caring about them. Neither is true.

Why is the MSM doing the bidding of McCain and the Republicans? Obama did a GREAT job on this trip, despite media protestations of failure and doom. Now that Obama has done so well, the MSM, along with McCain, is stirring controversy where there is none. The simple fact of the matter is that McCain helped prod Obama into going overseas, and now McCain is sorry. Period. He's a sore loser.

To RNC shills Hanes Richards and Bren Wren (do you make these names up or is there a list that you work off?):

Obama coulnd't call collect and the wounded soldiers don't have caller ID - due to the funding cuts for wounded veterans instituted by your Boy George and his pals, with the support of Sen. McBambooshoots

The Pentagon didn't cancel the visit, they simply told Obama he couldn't campaign from there and use the troops as a photo-op.  He could have went to visit the troops by himself, without the media.  But he only wants to use the troops as props, so he changed his mind.

He made the call to the troops.  Would have McCain gotten flack for not visiting -- not likely.  At least Obama was trying to push Webb's new GI Bill in the Senate.  

Finally there is another reason that Obama didn't go to see the troops in person.  First we heard that it would be problematic with all the press trying to get in as well.  Finally, the Pentagon said that it would not be allowed solely because it was because of the campaign.  I wonder if McCain would have had that as well?

OK since your not going to read other news articles about this story, READ THIS...
"We told him he could visit Landstuhl (Regional Medical Center in western Germany) with his Senate staff, but not with his campaign staff," said Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Hibner.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, an adviser to Obama, said Obama had opted against the visit.

No Photo Op... No Obama...  

Obama could have gone, Ah the Teflon King, its amazing.

Dial down the center...

1 800 CALL ATT

The only thing more obnoxious than conservatives complaining that Obama didn't visit the wounded troops would be the same conservatives complaining if he had.

And let me get this straight. It's BAD?!?! for Obama to be liked in Europe?  Anyone who feels this way must not mind that the Bush/Merkel backrub was the high point of international relations in the last 8 years. Personally, I thought it was refreshing to see American flags waving that weren't on fire for a change.

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