by Frank James
The Republican National Committee e-mailed a transcript from an MSNBC report this afternoon by correspondent Andrea Mitchell.
The RNC wanted people to focus on the part of Mitchell's report where she said that the Pentagon told Sen. Barack Obama's campaign that the presidential candidate could visit wounded soldiers at Landsthul Medical Center if he only brought a single Senate aide but no campaign staff in order to keep the event from being a political one.
The RNC obviously wants to put Obama on the defensive for allowing this seemingly minor condition to prevent his visit.
But that's not the only noteworthy part of what Mitchell reported. She also said that Obama campaign people were angry at the Pentagon for creating a fuss about an event whose details the campaign thought they had finalized more or less
ANDREA MITCHELL: "Spin from both sides: the Pentagon would have told you that these are rules that everyone follows. That he was welcomed, he could have gone if he had gone with just a Senate aide, but that no campaign aides could go with him. Privately, some people are suggesting that one of the issues was a general - Scott Gration -- who travels with him who's a campaign aide and retired Air Force general and that the general was told that he could not use his privilege as a retired member of the military to accompany Senator Obama because he is now joined the political campaign.
... So that may have been one of the stumbling blocks. ... The Obama people certainly feel resentful. They had a planned event. They were planning to leave the press corps on the tarmac and go in themselves, and that they feel the pentagon made it difficult and reminded them of the rules, about which they didn't need to be reminded having just come from a similar visit in Iraq. But whatever the result, they feel that they have been treated badly by the Pentagon, and that is certainly creating some bad blood."
Question: which side needs the other more? It would seem the campaign needs the Pentagon (surely the senator's schedulers will want to get him onto military bases or into hospitals before the campaign is over) more than the Pentagon needs the campaign. So this is one where the Pentagon probably has the greater leverage.
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Comments
Pentagon is proper-
Obama camp just wanted to FREE LOAD-
What does Obam think he is-GIFT TO AMERICA
Posted by: George | July 25, 2008 5:02 PM
It will take at least the first four years of Obama's Presidency to get rid of all of the partisan clowns put in place by Bushco at the Pentagon and elsewhere. It happens, just very, very s-l-o-w-l-y.
Just getting the major agencies headed back in the right direction will be a monumental task. EPA, FDA and FEMA are clearly off the tracks and will require a major overhaul. The folks on the ground will still be there, but the BushCo management cronies need to be dumped first thing on Jan 20, 2009.
Posted by: John E | July 25, 2008 6:00 PM
Pentagon purposefully botched the explanation of the rules and then left the Obama camp hanging when the press went to DOD for an explanation. It's pure politics.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: matt | July 25, 2008 6:10 PM
True to his usual self. Obama always blames someone else. Everyone is picking on him. He'd better pick a stron VP..Otherwise he will never make it to the presidency..Preferable HRC as she should have had it anyway had the delegates used their heads and listened to the people....
Posted by: typical texas | July 25, 2008 6:59 PM
Once again the guardians of darkness think they have red meat on their plates as the rest of America feels proud to leave the dark ages.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | July 25, 2008 7:34 PM
Again, this is like the Rice memo to the embassies, the Condi Rice Berlin memo to the embassy employees that told them to NOT attend Obama's address and now this happens one day before the visit? This smells of Bush, McCain and the RNC propaganda thugs.
But every time the Rethugs do this it backfires on them. What, McCain was able to give a speech at the Naval Academy and nobody noticed?
Nice try Rethugs, but the world is watching this time and they know how desperate you are this summer.
Posted by: curious george | July 25, 2008 7:47 PM
We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded as the military.
Then when I'm president they'll march into the Pentagon and throw everybody out. Then they'll go to the offices of New Yorker!
Posted by: Barry | July 25, 2008 7:49 PM
Do you think a Republican led US government that would stoop to putting a governor in jail on trumped-up charges (Don Siegelman) would blanch at denying a Democratic presidential candidate a chance to visit with injured troops?
When Obama is elected, a major house-cleaning is needed. I hope each Cabinet secretary is specifically charged with reviewing their department's actions of the last eight years and undoing partisan and illegal activities. Budgets for IG's and ethics panels should be increased significantly. Justice, Interior and Defense need a particularly thorough cleaning-out.
Posted by: Dallas Doc | July 25, 2008 8:06 PM
The Republicans stooping this low is a promising sign of how desperate McCain and the Republicant's already are in this election. With the Olympics break coming up and then the VP selections, the GOP will have precious little time in campaigning. And I think their window of opportunity for defining Obama has already been closed. McCain has already ran one of the worst Presidential campaigns in history.
It's now only a question of how hard Democrats can all work to increase our Congressional and Legislature majorities and how fervent our GOTV efforts are in November. I think the positive outcome for Senator Obama is not in doubt... only the final margin.
Posted by: The Big Orange Satan | July 25, 2008 8:29 PM
It's probably racism on the part of the pentagon.
This BS about Obama being angry at the pentagon is rediculous. The fact remains, that Obama had no reason for not going anyway, so what if he couldn't bring his pal in with him, he acts as tho the whole thing was more about politics than the troops.
He should set an example for our country, and follow the rules that everyone has to follow.
Posted by: Teresa | July 25, 2008 8:36 PM
that Obama had no reason for not going anyway, so what if he couldn't bring his pal in with him, he acts as tho the whole thing was more about politics than the troops.
He should set an example for our country, and follow the rules that everyone has to follow.
Posted by: Teresa | July 25, 2008 8:36 PM
Are you Paulo's sister or something? You always sound dumber than a box of rocks.
Posted by: John E | July 25, 2008 11:34 PM
Hussein wanted to use our maimed and wounded men and women for his propaganda use.
He was NEVER in the military.
SHAME ON HIM !
Posted by: Franco | July 26, 2008 3:59 AM
Why didn't Obama go to lay a wreath at the Arc de Triomphe ! and the shores from D-day! and Anne Franks house! and Chernobyl! and.....The only thing to satisfy the rabid would be a personal visit to every serviceman everywhere. not that that will satisfy the guardians of darkness.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | July 26, 2008 8:36 AM
Sorry John E-you are in your own little world, who is Paulo?
Posted by: Teresa | July 26, 2008 8:54 AM
Teresa, you, and the others in McCain's camp, are ignoring some of the more significant details. The details of the trip were ironed out long before. The Obama camp knew about the no press, etc., etc., and the Pentagon knew exactly who would be attending with Obama. It wasn't until after he had completed the first leg of the trip and his senate staff and the other senators attending went home that the Pentagon decided to change the guidelines. They knew that all he had with him at this point was his campaign staff - not senate staff. Was the virtually last minute switch by the Pentagon politically motivated? Gee, that would mean that they were biased. And we all know that the military is strictly forbidden to get involved in political campaigning .
..
Posted by: SouthSideD | July 26, 2008 11:16 AM
John E, starting to make excuses for Obam's failures even before he is elected. We all know if he gets in he will fail, but to make excuses now is rather presumptious, don't you think. Anyone worth their salt can see that Obam's insatiable thirst for power is a prelude to failure, on his own that is.
Posted by: RFB-IL | July 26, 2008 1:05 PM
Southside-11:16am-The point being, is that he could have still gone as a senator. He opted not to. Why do you think that was?
Regardless of how they try and spin it, he was still wrong!
Posted by: Teresa | July 26, 2008 1:12 PM
SouthSide D, you need to join the military and take a class in public affairs regulations.
Politics are never allowed on military bases. Why do you think Senator Obama should be any sort of exception to the rules? As is ALWAYS the case, he can go on any base he wants as a Senator. He chose not to.
He may NEVER go anywhere he wants to on a military base as a political candidate, and yet that's exactly what he demanded to do.
Posted by: Jan | July 26, 2008 2:59 PM
SouthSideD-you got your facts wrong. No one told him he couldn't visit injured troops. That is as far fetched as it gets. I don't care when he got word, if he's not able to change things a little before on a simple trip to see troops, he's not ready for all the hectic business and changes he would have to make in office. NO excuses, he pouted like a little baby, and tried to get the Pentagon back for it. No sympathy here. He's just to GREEN and to use to Chicago politics, they don't work on the National scene.
Posted by: Teresa | July 26, 2008 4:05 PM
John E.: I'm familiar with Paolo, and I THINK SHE IS!!!!
Franco: Do you want an 11 year old in the military???That's how old Obama WOULD HAVE BEEN DURING OUR LAST MAJOR WAR!!!! Shame on YOU!!!
Posted by: Mary in Iowa | July 27, 2008 12:23 AM
Mary, I'm dumber than a box of rocks? Aren't you aware that Franco was talking about Obama, that's his middle name Hussein ha ha. I'm the same age as Obama and he wasn't eleven back then. Wake up woman ha ha!
So, who is Paulo ha ha?????
Posted by: Teresa | July 27, 2008 9:05 AM
obama = fraud...........a real american would abide by the rules and not bemoan the lack of a photo op while they met the troopers........not good enough for BHO the messiah.....what a waste of oxygen.............
mccain 2008
Posted by: b | July 27, 2008 10:55 PM