FirstRead:
* UPDATE * From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube A U.S. military official tells NBC News they were making preparations for Sen. Barack Obama to visit wounded troops at the Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein, Germany on Friday, but "for some reason the visit was called off." One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama's representatives were told, "he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers." In addition, "Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit." The official said "We didn't know why" the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. "He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."
A U.S. military official tells NBC News they were making preparations for Sen. Barack Obama to visit wounded troops at the Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein, Germany on Friday, but "for some reason the visit was called off."
One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama's representatives were told, "he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers." In addition, "Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit."
The official said "We didn't know why" the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. "He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."
this is OT (and my apologies to politicsmatters -- great diary and recommended, thanks for the info, btw), but I was hoping you might write a non-Obama related diary soon. I was very interested in your comments in my last diary -- the bit about the care crisis. As you know, I disagree strongly with PUMA, but I think you're an intelligent person who has her own reasons for opposing Obama. I'm doing my utmost to respect your decision.
But I would really love to recommend something you write, and I know you have some good ideas unrelated to Obama. So I hope you write a non-candidate or pro-Hillary diary soon.
Actually, the tone of that report is almost completely different -- They don't know why the visit was canceled.
Andrea Mitchell's report, in contrast, says that they didn't want him to come under any circumstances since it was staffed by members of his campaign and wasn't part of a congressional delegation.
Catfish, you can repeat that all day long and it still won't take away the fact that the Pentagon told him not to go.
You should update your smear on Alegre's blog as well.
Good for her. Maybe it will help her work through her anger.
I would appreciate it if you didn't use my fellow fallen comrades for your little political vendetta. I find it hard to believe you give two shits about them.
Thank you for your understanding.
Your comrades gave their lives so we could live free in a state without censorship.
You have a history of intellectual dishonesty, which is again continued here.
Of course you can use your free speech rights to further smears. But why would you?
Oh, I agree. But I'm also free to express myself.
On a seperate matter (I'm not saying it applies in this case), you do NOT have the right not to be censored any time and any place. Otherwise the "Hide Post" feature would be unconstitutional and illegal.
Yes, but he has the right to call you out for being sleazy and dishonest when it comes to something that ought to be a very serious political issue for all Americans and not just yet another platform for your absurd politics.
That's a Republican device by the way. It seems your learning a lot from them now that you're on the same team.
If you want to imply nasty stuff about Obama at least have the guts to say it directly.
