New John McCain ad spotlights Barack Obama's derailed troop visit

Barack Obama took his own shot at defusing the flap surrounding the canceled visit to a U.S. military hospital during his overseas trip. But John McCain's campaign isn't about to let the matter rest.

Indeed, the Republican elevated the contretemps to what passes for the height of political discourse these days: it's a key element in a new television ad (see video below).

The 30-second spot zings Obama for making time for a gym workout while in Germany earlier this week, but removing from his itinerary a planned stop at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. The ad continues:

"Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras.

"John McCain is always there for our troops.

"McCain. Country first."

(The last line recently was unveiled on McCain's website as his....

... campaign's latest stab at settling on a simple slogan it will stick with.)

To take Obama to task more extensively over the canceled visit, McCain media aides today also issued a release from retired Lt. Col. Joe Repya, a veteran of three wars, that scolds the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for stiffing the troops while "flitting from one European capital to the next." It concludes:

"For a young man so apt at playing president, Barack Obama badly misjudged the important demands of the office he seeks. Visits with world leaders and speeches to cheering Europeans shouldn't be a substitute for comforting injured American heroes."

(No shortage of none-too-subliminal messages in those two sentences.)

Obama gave his version of the confusing chain of events that led to the cancellation in an interview that aired today with Fox News Channel's Bill Hemmer. Asked by Hemmer about "taking heat" for the nixed visit and whether it was a mistake not to make the stop, Obama replied:

"Well no, not at all. It was scheduled, we intended to go and we got wind that there was some concern that this might be perceived as political; because we were using campaign resources. And at that point, the last thing I wanted to do is to in any way distract the terrific work that’s being done in terms of treating our troops, by getting it fouled up by a bunch of politics. ... I didn’t want it to be a distraction.”

But that's exactly what it's become for Obama, and it may linger -- one can assume that McCain allies periodically will play the "he-stiffed-the-troops" card.

The various explanations seem to come down to crossed signals between Obama's staff and Pentagon officials. Bottom line: Having put the visit on the candidate's schedule, the vaunted Obama campaign team stumbled in not making sure he made good on the commitment.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Penn Schwert]

Obama was obviously more interested in the cameras and coverage than in the soldiers. Should McCain take advantage of it? Probably not. Personally I reckon the message is already clear enough. The real substance of any leader is in what he does when there are no cameras.

[Liz]

Remember McCain uses the same Bush playbook. Nothing new, he is senile and doesn't have anything to offer but his credentials as a war hero. I am sorry, but I do not go to the supermarket with that, and do not put gas in may car with that either. Obama was set up by Bush and the Pentagon. Same old tricks.

[Dan]

It amuses me that John McCain and his campaign staff are so incompetent, they could actually bring themselves to use the troops for political leverage in an advertisement designed to attempt to cast a negative light on Obama for trying to use the troops for political leverage.

This is obviously a setup. Had he gone, they'd have used it against him. That he respectfully opted out due to the Pentagon obviously being concerned and making concerns known about his visit, they try to attack him anyway.

John McCain is clearly the wrong direction for America.

[mano]

Is America no longer a civilized democratic society ? Guess it has turned into a fascist military society., according to the media and Mc Cain.

[coolrepublica]

RDL 5PM you actually stated the problem with Obama and you don't even realize it.

If McCain is elected he will meet with leaders in Europe in front of cheering crowds, but right now he is running for president so he will wait until after he is elected to do that.

Obama is ahead of himself and people as well as yourself have noticed that.

[TfromVA]

how about the fact that McCain supported a war that totally mislead the troops into harm's way?

[ziv]

The funny thing is that Obama was wrong about the Iraq war in a fundamental way, he wanted to end it before we won it. Now we have won it and he can't figure out how to deal with that fact. McCain was for the surge from the start, and he has been proven right. Obama was for a 16 month retreat several years ago when it meant we would be defeated, and he is for it now when it would mean that we would throw away all the benefits of standing firm.
Obama is an empty suit, he has done nothing, been nothing, and yet he is proclaimed to be a presidential candidate. He is a man that has chosen to surround himself with hateful bigots, his church displays a sick sort of hate served on a weekly basis. His wife can't remember a time she was proud of America. He isn't a man I would trust with anything of value, and he definitely isn't a man worthy of becoming a governor, let alone a president.
And yet, though he may be Jimmy Carter II, though he may be a clueless socialist with ideas that will damage America in a fundamental way, it may be worth it to elect an African American to the highest post in the US. There are real benefits to proving the egalitarian nature of the US, even if the man elected is a loser.

[Alessandro Machi]

I wrote stinging remarks about Barack's trip several days ago, he has somehow managed to top himself.

http://www.PROTEST-POSTCARDS.com
http://www.POSTCARD-BRIGADE.com

[bob]

Obama wouldn't have to visit wounded troops in Germany if McCain would have exercised better judgment about getting the country involved in Iraq in the first place. How disingenuous!

[Walt]

It's not an attack to point out when your opponent is inept - especially if the news media won't. The mainstream media continues to treat Obama the way a doting father teaching a 5 year old to play baseball: patiently putting up slow easy pitch after slow easy pitch - praying to God that he hits the next one out of the park and shows promise of a major league career someday.

[headlights on]

Wow, Senator McCain skips the Senate vote on the new GI bill, and has the gall to call his opponent un-supportive of the troops. Who's he trying to kid?

[Carrera2k]

Obama could have visited as sitting senator without his campaign staffs and cameras. But he wouldn't waste his valuable campaign opportunities on wounded troops. It's a lot more important to hear cheers from Germans who according to the latest polls 64% of them don't like Americans.

[Obama Supporter]

Mccain supporters. What constitutes success in Iraq?If its based on the surge, well those organizations were paid not to hurt our troops so of course there was "success". Either way our troops will come home with honor and dignity because they did they job they were told to do. in other words they handled the cards they were dealt. No matter how raggedy they were. So really Obamas position has been the same. Troop withdrawl in 16 months regardless of whether or not the surge worked. Obama always said there are no good options left and that we'd be as careful getting just as we were careless getting in. Bush is just finally ready to get out and wouldnt it just be a surprise that hes ready to get out when Obama goes to Iraq.I say that he just proves Obamas point. He'll be a great president!!

[Bill Lenner]

Where was John McCain.
How long did we wait to hear about the horrible conditions at Walter Reed?
Was it 2005 or 2006 when finally a Washington Post report exposed the miserable conditions at the nation's primary stateside troop care hospital. I think other news sources also reported, not only on WR, but also care or lack of it in other facilities.

The important point is that it wasn't John McCain exposing the horror of the troop and VA medical system.

John McCain is a major senator and could have called the people at Walter Reed and in the Bush VA system to account many years before the Washington Post broke the story. He says he visits the troops often.

Didn't he care what was happening to our wounded troops and veterans?

Really, where was he and why did he leave our ailing troops to suffer without making sure that conditions were improved?

Reality shows that the McCain Camp is full of liars.

After all Johnboy relies on two important propagandameisters from Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns, Charlie (lobbied for Myanmar/Burma) and Steve "The Hammer" Schmidt (who also helped run the nasty recall campaign of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[hesingswithfrogs]

This is an area where I think McCain is flatly wrong. He has voted time and time again against looking after our veterans. In doing so, he has not only voted against our veterans and but he has voted against the families of our veterans. These people, who have already sacrified SO MUCH, are having to pick up the slack while the government of the Country that they served and committed their lives to shirks its responsibilities to our veterans. It is UNBELIEVABLE that John McCain is now trying to act like OBAMA is the one who doesn't care about our troops. It was OBAMA that voted to support our Veterans. Yet here's McDeFame running negative TV ads flatly out LYING about Obama's motives. Obama met with the troops. In Iraq. In Afghanistan.

Of course, had the Bush administration's interference with Obama's visit with the troops in Germany had not occurred, Obama would have met with the troops in Germany as well. It's not like the Pentagon didn't know Obama was coming. This reeks of Bush telling the Pentagon to spring a trap on Obama at the last minute. Meanwhile, McCain is set up to call Obama names over it. Like I said earlier ... this name-calling is coming from a man who has voted against our Veterans time and time again. It is flat out IMMORAL what Bush, Rove, Schmidt, McCain and the bunch are trying to pull here. But this is the ground that they live to tread on. They relish it. They are expert at slime warfare.

In the business world, Bush, Rove, Schmidt, Cheney, and now McCain would be known as Corporate Raiders. They take over a company and do unspeakable things to it. Only here, instead of a corporation, it is our Country that is being hi-jacked by Rove, Scmidt, McCain, Bush, etc. And with their brand of character smears and distortions, they hope to do more unspeakable things to our Nation into the foreseeable future. Its high time we recognize these bloodsuckers and stop the bloodsucking.

What really happened on Obama's journey overseas was that he won the respect and the support of leaders in Iraq, Israel, Germany, and France and he spoke to 200,000 Germans who were wildly cheering for Obama's proposals. Barack Obama has demonstrated the skill and leadership to win over the support of huge audience time and time again. Isn't it Leadership that being President of the United States is all about. . We live in a world with global problems where global cooperation is needed to solve them. International Terrorism, The Environment, The Economy. We need a leader who can reach out globally and win the support and cooperation of our Neighbors. When judging the Leadership of Obama and McCain ... it is clear that Obama is the more effective leader. While McCain may claim that his military experience makes him a better leader than OBama, take a look through your eyes. Images of Obama with widespread, enthusiastic support are everywhere. McCain ... not so much.

[Tim McGarry]

This is a familiar right-wing tactic, using the sacrifices of American men and women in uniform to manipulate emotions and cast aspersions on the patriotism and sincerity of opponents. They've used it in some form or another in just about every election in my lifetime, sometimes effectively, sometimes not.

This instance is likely to fall flat. It's clear that a visit was scheduled, then cancelled in response to Pentagon concerns. And most people I know are very tired of having their patriotism manipulated in this and similar ways.. They know such manipulation contributed to the mess in Iraq, and are more leery and resistant now than in the past.

[Sue]

What I am really wondering about is this - Obama won the nomination by saying he is against war, now he is staring TWO new wars? How come all those whos support Obama, all the anti-war folks, don't really mind if now there are two wars instead of one? Actually there will be THREE, Obama will leave troops in Iraq, and then he will go into Afghanistan and Pakistan!!!

So why is three wars by Obama better than one by McCain?

I am really perplexed. Can anyone please help? I am an independent.

[Sue]

OBAMA LOGO? Isin't everyone shocked? That obama painted HIS logo over the US logo on his campaign plane? Doesn't this show strong lack of patriotism?

[dave]

the 'war on terror' was called out as an excuse not only for unscrupulous 'leaders' to enrich themselves, physically 'sacrificing' hundreds of thousands of people, to steal the wealth of whole nations. but the underlying cause is to create false reasons, to herd together the nations of the world, to be enslaved and ruled by one global tyranny. all the candidates hand-picked and groomed to represent the worst of choices, do not qualify to run for office. there's no merit in winning if it means to lose your country. there's no merit in winning if it means to lose your freedom. and your freedom is what this is all about. and what the idea of america is all about.
freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. without freedom happiness cannot exist.

[Dennis D]

Obama could have visited the soldiers with his Senate staff and not his campaign staff. He knew this. Obama then lied and said the Pentagon denied him access. When that story didn't work it evolved . Obama is an expert at the evolving story. Like the Rev Wright story.

[Dennis D]

Obama was dead wrong on this issue and lied. Those of you who are trying to make dishonest excuses are pathetic. Obama blew it and he is now trying to cover his ass with SPIN.

[Fred Baltes]

McCain is playing typical Republican and look where the
last one has gotten us.

[brkdckdwg]

IT'S SEEMS QUITE EASY FOR JOHN MCCAIN AND HIS REPUG-BLICAN CRONIES TO RAP THEMSELVES IN OLE GLORY AND SING TO THE HEAVENS YANKEE DODDLE DANDY,AND THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC IN HONOR OF THOSE FIGHTING OVERSEAS BUT IT STRIKES ME AS ODD THAT THIS BOUT OF PATRIOTIC FERVOR AND REVELRY SEEMS ONLY TO OCCUR DURING ELECTIONS AND WHILE PARADING AROUND ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL BUT WHEN THE ELECTIONS ARE OVER AND OR THE WOUNDED JANES AND JOHNNIES COME MARCHIN HOME DOES THE REPUG--BLICAN {POLITICIANS} TRUE COLORS COME SHINING THRU {WE BEG Y'A LLS PARDON BUT WHEN WE PROMISED Y'ALL A ROSE GARDEN WE HAD OUR FINGERS CROSS WHICH MAKES THE PROMISES NULL AND VOID AND EVERY BODY KNOWS THAT ALONG WITH THE RHETORIC THERE'S GOT TO BE A LITTLE LYING SOMETIMES} WHICH IS WHY IT'S SAID THAT PATRIOTISM IS THE LAST REFUGE OF SCROUNDRELS AND THERE IS NO BIGGER SCROUNDREL FROM HERE TO ETERNITY THEN JOHN MACAIN HE'S NO HERO AND HE'S NO FRIEND TO GRUNTS {SEMPER FI} IF JOHN MCCAIN IS AREAL AMERICAN HERO THEN HELL REALLY IS FOR HERO AND I FOR ONE WONT NO PART OF IT SEEING AS I WANT TO GO IN THE OTHER DIRECTION

[Chuck]

Thank you McCain for bringing to light another example of the Obama "What's in it for me" leadership principle.

[paul w]

Obama obviously thought it was waste of time if cameras were not allowed while visiting wounded troops. Cool, calculated decision.....just happened his version of event is not passing credibility test......like so many other of his missteps