Obama's cancellation of a military hospital visit leaves unanswered questions

The varying explanations for the cancellation of Barack Obama’s planned visit today to the U.S. military’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany are leaving campaign-watchers puzzled.

Obama had been scheduled to greet U.S. troops at the hospital just before leaving Germany this afternoon for Paris, where he met French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace.

But first, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs released a statement Thursday night saying the senator had decided "out of respect for these servicemen and women that it would be inappropriate to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a trip funded by the campaign."

The campaign amended that explanation this morning. Obama wanted to thank the troops for their service, but "we learned from the Pentagon last night that the visit would be viewed instead as....

...a campaign event.," Obama advisor Scott Gration, a retired Air Force major general, said in a statement.

On Obama’s flight from Berlin to Paris, Gibbs offered more details. Around July 15, the Pentagon approved Obama’s visit. But military officials later invoked a rule on political activity at military bases and questioned whether it would cover Obama’s visit, Gibbs said.

Obama spokesmen said they were seeking clarification on what the rule is. Gibbs also declined to speculate on why the Pentagon did not cite the rule until Wednesday.

That account, however, didn’t square with the Defense Department’s explanation. The Pentagon said it informed the Obama campaign on Monday that he and his Senate staff could visit Landstuhl, where wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are treated, but that no press would be allowed.

"Sen. Obama is more than welcome to visit Landstuhl or any other military hospital around the world," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. "But he has to do so, just as any other senator has to do so, in his official capacity. It is not acceptable to do so as a candidate."

"In an election year," Morrell said, "I don’t believe that any candidate is allowed to visit a DOD facility with press."

He cited a Pentagon directive that activities "reasonably viewed as directly or indirectly associating the [Defense Department] with a partisan political activity" should be avoided.

Morrell said the U.S. military was prepared to accommodate Obama’s traveling press and campaign staff at the passenger terminal at Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. Air Force base in southern Germany where Obama’s plane had been cleared to land.

-- Michael Finnegan and Peter Spiegel

Comments

[jane]

I wonder if the new cell phone video of Obama smoking a cigar with the french PM will have any effect on the vote, seeing how Obama said he quit smoking. You can find Obama cigar video at http://www.theobamaplan.com its at one of the links at that site. I cant remember which one but its not hard to find. I dont know who I will be voting for. I dislike both candidates so much.

[J]

Why don't you cover some REAL NEWS!?!?!? There is a hearing about the crimes of this Administration and you turn your heads??? Where is your integrity????

[Tim]

Its a shame that these troops did not get a chance to see Obama. I'm sure they all would have been happy to meet the future President of the United States.

But Obama is a fair man, and see these troops as a senator who is running for president is just not fair to those people who run for president and do not have the abilities that a senator has.

I do wish that he would have met with these troops alone, without coverage, but I would assume there is other things going on that prevented this, possibly lack of security.

[coolrepublica]

Let me summarize what happened.

The DOD said "You can come Obama, but no press and no entourage."

Obama said "No press, no entourage. Who do you think I am? John McCain. I'll pass. I've got a dry martini waiting for me anyway at a nightclub in downtown Berlin. Tell the soldiers I said hi."

[rob]

I would guess we won't hear that Edwards will be considered for Veep now that he's too busy taking care of the new baby.

[Carol]

So in other words, Ooobama chose not to go since there wouldn't be any press able to go with him to capture the moment. Classy.

[Jane]

Wow, no cameras allowed, so he cancels the visit. These are wounded soldiers. Of course cameras should not be allowed. Obama is petty and unpatriotic.

[andy]

No press? no deal!...
That's why he is not going to the hospital.
All Obama wants is a photo ops.
If there is no press...there is no point going...since all he cares about is his own political gain.
He don't care about our sick troop.
He don't care if the thousands of troops in Iraq and Afgan die for with their own blood....
He just want to end the war so that it will be one less problem for him...
he don't care if our country win or loss
and he don't care if we pull out without a stable country it will left the country to the terriost.
All he care about is that he become "first black president"

[Larry Clifton]

Obama couldn't bring a couple of 747's loaded with lap-dog media so he cancelled.
Nobama in 2008!

[Carrie]

Hmm, well then, it seems like Barack Messiah Obama skipped seeing the troops because he wouldn't get full "press coverage" of the event! Or maybe it's because wounded warriors don't respond well to someone reading to them from a teleprompter.

What is wrong with people these days? How come we have not seen Mr. Barack Messiah Obama on stage DEBATING with McCain? Can an election really be won with a speech and no actual realistic showing of political prowess? TO BE PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE OTHER CANDIDATE AT DEBATING, WHY DOES OBAMA NOT DO THIS?

Let's see what Obama has in terms of arguing his stance and reason for being elected in a LIVE debate with his contender, and WIN. Until then, Obama's campaign really is a fairytale in my eyes.

[tdub]

Now watch the media (and the righties) run around like chickens with their heads cut off for the next few weeks, months, on another "patriotism" issue......... Meanwhile, the republicans used every crass photo op in the book the last 8 years (who can forget "misson accomplished"?)

[fletc3her]

The State Department and the Defense Department are doing everything within their power to ensure that McCain gets elected. Dirty tricks like this are just par for the course when these agencies have become as politicized as they are now.

Anatomy of a dirty trick. First, approve the visit. Second, the day before the visit, cancel that approval. Third, craft a mendacious lie to feed to the press. It ends up looking like the Obama campaign has egg on its face. Good job Karl Rove.

[Bob]

Obama could have visisted the facility as a senator but I strongly suspect that he decided not too because he could not do so if the press could not tag along. As a vet I am not surprised by his action-his compents about Iraq are indicative of his feelings towards the military

[Curtis]

Ok, I see how it works. Obama only visits the military if cameras will be present. Once again, it's not about the troops, it's all about him! What a fake. I was an undecided independent but he just made up my mind. At least I can take McCain for face value, but Obamas face changes with the angle of the camera. What a rip!

[jerry]

The military hospital would have been the first place I would visit if I were him.

[jim]

How about the LATIMES not mentioning John Edwards latest tryst???? Id be interested to know why they have avoided any mention of it....

[Nookly]

Guess the good Senator did not think is was a good use of time to see the wounded soldiers he wishes to lead if he is not able to have his well biased media on hand.
I suppose that these brave men and women who serve our country is not enough of a reason to pay his respect to them. Then again, he is the one who has called our troops "terrorist that murder women and children in the dark of night".
What a joke. He will put out his 10th excuse for not showing up soon and the biased media will buy it hook line and sinker.

[bill]

What this article reminds me is that Senator Obama is indeed a "typical politician", and Rev. Wright was right on Obama.

[Fernando F]

there is no way Obama can win this visiting wounded people in Germany issue. If he visits they'll say "he is using the wounded".... if he doesn't visit they'll say "hey look, he is not visiting them... he doesn't care". You can always paint a neutral situation with the "color" that you want. After all, is a campaign, and McCain supporters just want to score points at any cost.

[J]

I recall VP George Bush touring bases in 1988 when he was running. Must be a new rule.

[Heather]

I am completely confused! I thought Obama said his trip was a senate fact finding mission?

In Germany he said he was not speaking as a candidate for President, but as a citizen.

But he can not go to see the soldiers because he is on a trip funded by his campaign? Why couldn't he have gone to see them and just left the press and camera's behind?

So is it a campaign trip or a senate fact finding mission or travel by a citizen of America?

Wow am I confused!

[Sharon]

I honestly feel Republican controlled Pentagon did have alot to do with Obama's visit to servicemen. You only have to look at how John McCain has been complaining all week. Pentagon will deny of course!! Obama's trip has been well planned. Advisers to Obama Campaign would not skip visit to our servicmen. His campaign does very well not complaining unless they have to. John McCain complains about anything and everything. Something is done - he complains and criticizes. Same something is not done - he will complain and criticize.

[TeeJ]

It would seem that as a "Presidential Candidate" it would be viewed as a "political activity" no matter how he visited the troops, had he went there.

It would not matter that press was/was not with him.
In his official capacity as a Senator, in my opinion, it would be reported that he had simply circumvented the "political activity" rule because of the phrase "...reasonably viewed as directly or indirectly...", therefore he is put in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position. How very cute.

The Pentagon Press secretary graciously provides contradictory statements as to why the Senator "is of course allowed to visit" at the same time as why he "is not allowed to visit. How very politically correct.

article quote-
(Geoff Morell)[He] cited a Pentagon directive that activities "reasonably viewed as directly or indirectly associating the [Defense Department] with a partisan political activity" should be avoided.

"Sen. Obama is more than welcome to visit Landstuhl or any other military hospital around the world," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. "But he has to do so, just as any other senator has to do so, in his official capacity. It is not acceptable to do so as a candidate."

"In an election year," Morrell said, "I don’t believe that any candidate is allowed to visit a DOD facility with press."

[Jimmy the Greek]

Mr. Obama is darned if he does and also darned if he doesn't. If the world cannot get enough of Barack then support him and put him in office already! The poor man is going to be spread too thin. I say it is President Bush who should be over there taking care of these things.

[Ed Weirdness]

Seriously, if Candidate Obama had wanted to visit the troops, he'd have found the time and the means to do so, discreetly and unobtrusively. Did anyone bother to ask if the troops wanted him to visit? For some of the wounded, sick and infirm patients the prospect of a full scale media circus might have been more than they wanted to put up with.

Once the visit was removed from being a "photo-op" the Obama campaign found better use of their time. Really, when your sick or injured, visitors however well intentioned, can be a nuisance. Throw in the MSM, photographers, and morons sticking microphones in you face and quizzing you about where your from? How you got hurt, and whether yo felt your injuries were George Bush's fault, might be asking too much from wounded warriors who've already given more than they should!