Landstuhl: The Obama-Pentagon Back-and-Forth
LONDON — 6:15 p.m. local time
This story is generating tremendous interest. Obama planned, but did not officially announce, a trip in Germany to Landstuhl Medical Center, a hospital and treatment facility for injured U.S. military personnel near Ramstein Air Base. Landstuhl is the largest overseas medical facility operated by the Pentagon and is the principal treatment and early recuperation setting for those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama called off the trip Thursday. At first, the campaign said it did not want to be accused of visiting the wounded troops as part of an overseas trip financed by the senator’s presidential campaign, fearing it would be received and subsequently criticized as using the wounded as campaign props.
The McCain campaign quickly criticized Obama, asserting it is never inappropriate to visit wounded U.S. military personnel and Obama’s concerns about political attacks were unfounded.
The Obama campaign then said it was told by the Pentagon that the trip would be “perceive” as political and that became the basis for its decision to scuttle the trip.
The Pentagon denied this on-the-record and in a letter it sent to Obama before the senator canceled the Landstuhl visit.
To give everyone curious the full sequence of the statements on this matter, I list them here in their entirety and in chronological order.
Here is the first statement on the matter from Senior Obama Communications Adviser, Robert Gibbs:
“During his trip as part of the CODEL (congressional delegation trip) to Afghanistan and Iraq, Senator Obama visited the combat support hospital in the Green Zone in Baghdad and had a number of other visits with troops. For the second part of his trip, the senator wanted to visit the men and women at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to express his gratitude for their service and sacrifice. The senator 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.”
Following McCain’s criticism Obama’s campaign released this statement from traveling military adviser, Maj. Gen. Scott Gration (USAF retired):
“Senator Obama had hoped to and every intention of visiting our troops to express his appreciation and gratitude for their service to our country.
We learned from the Pentagon last night that the visit would be viewed instead as a campaign event. Senator Obama did not want to have a trip to see our wounded warriors perceived as a campaign event when his visit was to show his appreciation for our troops and decided instead not to go.”
Today, Brian Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said the following:
“As a sitting senator he obviously has an official interest in the well-being of our service members and how the wounded and ill are being treated and certainly is welcome to visit a military medical center any time that he wants. As you all know, we do have certain policy guidelines for political campaigns and elections and what is appropriate and what is not appropriate int those situations, but the Pentagon certainly did not tell the senator that he could not visit Landstuhl.”
Whitman was asked if the Pentagon said the visit would be “inappropriate”
“The issue here is that if you are both a sitting senator and a political candidate — when you are doing things like a visit to Landstuhl you need to do it in your capacity as a sitting senator or you have to do it with restrictions that apply to any other candidate out there that might be running for office that is not a sitting senator. So you have to be able to draw that distinction.
Whitman was then asked what restrictions apply to candidates.
“The military tries very had not to get involved in political campaigns. There are certain activities that are not appropriate — conducting a campaign speech, for example, on a military installation is not something that would be appropriate to do. You also have the issue when you visit any hospital — you have issues of patient privacy.
Whitman was then asked who was involved in discussions with Obama’s campaign.
“It wasn’t here. My understanding is either EUCOM (European Command) or Landstuhl themselves. We learned a few days ago that there was some interest in Sen. Obama going to Landstuhl and all we did was simply remind people that Sen. Obama is a sitting senator, and his visit would need to be done consistent with a sitting senator.”
Lastly, the Pentagon released this letter today from the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and REadiness, David Chu, that explained the guidelines for Obama’s potential visit. It was sent, the Pentagon said, to commanders at EUCOM (European Command) and top officials at Landstuhl.
The guidelines were listed as:
1. You can land at Landstuhl and any/all media can cover your arrival and departure.
2. You will only be allowed at the Hospital with ONE SENATE staffer and appropriate security.
3. The only media allowed to follow into the hospital would be a military still photographer. The photographer would have potentially shot pictures of Obama with hospital staffers, members of the military and any patients that would want to participate.
That’s the official back-and-forth. Obama has just finished his press conference with French President Sarkozy and will soon be here. More posts upon his arrival.
Major, you are doing a great job. I just came to the Bourbon Room. Your reporting is fair and accurate. Keep it up, sorry I am so late to the party.
Doesn’t sound unfair to me. It is rather logical.
wow what a speech by Obama yesterday, I think I’m going to vote for this guy, McCain is just too boring, and doesn’t even know how to use a computer
This guy is a real piece of work……bet he decided against it when Couric and Brokaw, et al were going to be denied admission. Self serving little punk b!tch. If his traveling propaganda corps could have videoed the whole thing I’m sure he would have gone.
I feel so bad for the men and women who served our Country and paid the price to be shunned by someone who is susposed to be Presidential. I’m sure their loved ones are hurting too.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
JOHN McCANN 08.
PUMA.
once again cant get his story straight and blames his bad judgement on someone else. He decided not to go because there would not be enough grandstanding allowed for him.
[...] huge disrepectful gesture McCain has been attempting to make it out to be; it’s the LAW. A recap of the knee-jerk, “unpresidential” reaction from the only U.S. Senator in this nation’s history to be born in the sovereign foreign [...]
SLICK AS HELL | The Pentagon in a statement cited longstanding Defense Department policy that prohibits military personnel or facilities from association with partisan political campaigns and elections. “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. They told Obama that after his Senate staff had already left to come back to America with along with Reed and Hagel.
Only Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel were fact finding Senate trips. Germany, France and the UK are being paid for by Obama’s personal presidential campaign money. He could not go to see the troops under the law. If he had tried to sneak off and go see them and the media found out.. which they would have.. then Obama would have been in legal trouble.
Hope that clears it up for you.
Major, thank you for your excellent reporting. Shame on Obama for trying to backpaddle his bad judgement on not visiting the wounded troops. He did not visited the wounded troops because he could not have all the media with him to do all the grandstanding for the world to see. Shame on him, and now he is blaming others for his bad judgement. If it had been me, even if I had to go by myself, I would made a special trip just to say thanks. Our military deserves it. With love from the American people who supports them and God Bless the Men and Women in our military. Sincerely, Ana Ward
Again, this Senator could have visited under the guidelines but chose not to. I really think he is uncomfortable in the presence of men and women who he secretly despises…., hero’s who have sacrificed so much more than he is ever willing or able…. He is not worthy of tying their bootstraps…..
Major, thank you for your excellent reporting. Shame on Obama for trying to backpaddle his bad judgement on not visiting the wounded troops. He did not visited the wounded troops because he could not have all the media with him to do all the grandstanding for the world to see. Shame on him, and now he is blaming others for his bad judgement. If it had been me, even if I had to go by myself, I would made a special trip just to say thanks. Our military deserves it. With love from the American people who supports them and God Bless the Men and Women in our military. Sincerely, Ana Ward
PS: Major, please print.
Let it go! I saw an interview on fox where Obama stated that he chose not to visit the troops out of respect because he did not want it to be a campaign event. He also stated he had visited the same troops 3 weeks ago and no one knew about it not even the media. Did yall know this! I was glad some one like Obama was was representing America overseas. He made us look good for a change. Give a man credit when it’s due. I do.
The bottom line is Obama could have visited the troops if he really wanted to. The fact is that when the pentagon alerted him that it could be conceived that it was a political event that is when his schedule changed. You see everyone, the truth is no camera’s so why bother. What a fraud this man is. If it wasn’t self serving he wasn’t going. It wasn’t about the troops it was about him.
The so called “fact finding” mission changed to “tour”. Did anyone notice? First , if this was a fact finding mission like Obama claims why was the plane repainted with his campaign slogan on it and the American flag symbol removed? On the tail, instead of the American flag on the plane, is the rising-sun logo of the Obama campaign. Guess he didn’t want our flag making other countries fell “oppressed” http://www.weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/barack_obama_new_plane.html
next is the tax payers did flip most of the bill. So they changed the name of the trip from fact finding to tour,lol. Guess he showboated too much.
BTW: Obama while he is saying about other presidents meeting our enemies he might want to know he “misspoke” again Roosevelt never met with our enemies,lol.
I assume the Roosevelt to whom Sen. Obama referred is Franklin D. Roosevelt. Our enemies in World War II were Nazi Germany, headed by Adolf Hitler; fascist Italy, headed by Benito Mussolini, and militarist Japan, headed by Hideki Tojo. FDR talked directly with none of them before the outbreak of hostilities, and his policy once war began was unconditional surrender.
And maybe he will get honest and say he had two concerts and that is why so many people came out in Germany,ROFLMAO.
Its so funny. Obama at least attempted to visit a hospital while McCain is on his tour of Grocery Stores. I guess he needs to though because he only goes to them for publicity and to find out what us normal people pay. When you Have over $200m in the bank you just don’t worry about things like food prices. Until Obama started running the family did there own shopping now they can’t because of security. McCain has said he doesn’t do things like that. He has people to do that. Yea they are called servants!
Also you noticed that all McCain talks about is Obama and how he is the devil. Why does he think that mud slinging will get him to the white house. If he talked more about himself and his real views not the ones he has recently adopted he may just have a chance to win. Come on there is a reason why he (in all other poles except Fox) has been trailing Obama.
Obama is talking about the issues and leaves McCain’s dysfunctional family alone.
Comment by vote
July 26th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Let it go! I saw an interview on fox where Obama stated that he chose not to visit the troops out of respect because he did not want it to be a campaign event. He also stated he had visited the same troops 3 weeks ago and no one knew about it not even the media. Did yall know this! I was glad some one like Obama was was representing America overseas. He made us look good for a change. Give a man credit when it’s due. I do.
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Think you been misled. First campaign event? lmao no the Pentagon made it clear he and one senate adviser could go but no media, it has been a law for long time. So how would it be considered campaigning if no campaign people were allowed in? Maybe thats why he didn’t go, no grandstanding allowed. He prob thought if he didn’t get any publicity out of it why bother,(so much for his “fact finding” second when exactly did he go to Germany to visit troops before? please let us know,lmao went all over web and as senator he has never visited troops before in Germany. lmao “He also stated he had visited the same troops 3 weeks ago and no one knew about it not even the media” oh this is good. BTW if he did go someone would of known it takes more than a couples hours to travel to Germany and back you might want to check that out also he would need clearance to land in Germany, the way the media follows him around. it would be impossible to slip away for a couple days and he was making speeches 3 weeks ago so guess he knows how to time travel? maybe its another “misspoken” thing he seems to do a lot of that.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/DoD_spokesman_says_Obama_camp_was_reminded_of_political_rules.html
Liberal media my A$$, sure Senator Obama has been getting more press, most of it however has been a public beating. Every word, pause or nuance is disected and criticized when Obama speaks. However much of this week and prior, Mr. McCain has been devouring his own shoes and barely a whisper from the corporate controlled media.
You want fair and balanced than talk about this story for a while here. The double standard here sticks.
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=4FE8823D79B012540EA163C17A17164E?diaryId=1671
Comment by Tim
July 27th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Liberal media my A$$, sure Senator Obama has been getting more press, most of it however has been a public beating. Every word, pause or nuance is disected and criticized when Obama speaks.
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Say what you want but Obama has not been called on his lies and the media makes excuses for him when he is caught red handed (need I bring up NAFTA & Canada?) From the Ayers connections to his lies he keeps spouting. Have you bothered to look at his voting record before he decided to run for president? Completely different than his views now. As soon as his votes counted about the war he has voted in favor of everything ,lol. He gets a lot of press because he thrives on showboating.
Just keep walking in fairytale land.
http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/
ahlkca22 ,
You do realize McCain has been to several troop hospitals? Including Germany’s even though they refuse to allow Cindy to accompany him he still went without the media,lol. He has been to several of the hospitals in the US. OMG you BO followers can be clueless.
Obama’s explanation as to why he did not visit the troops is lame, but how can he really appreciate the uniformed personnel whose efforts in the war on terror he did not support? Besides when he says that he did not want his visit to become a media event, a good decision maker who is in command of his situation, would know not to make it a media event. Is he just depending on other people telling him what to do and what not to do? The issue is a no brainer. Visit as a senator and talk to the wounded soldiers to know what he as a senator could do for them. What a candidate!
…You want fair and balanced than talk about this story for a while here. The double standard here sticks.
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=4FE8823D79B012540EA163C17A17164E?diaryId=1671
Vet Voice is not fair and balanced.. It is as left wing as they come
What a jerk. He hangs out with his liberal EUROPEAN BUDDIES but can’t take time to visit our brave, wounded troop. He didn’t due it out of respect, what a bunch of democrappic nonsense.
Someone with the integrity of Hillary Clinton or John McCain wound have surely paid their respects.