Yet more insight into our new Commander in Chief

The Coffee Shop
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As reported by the Cleveland Leader:

Link: Obama Snubs Nation’s Heroes, Becomes the First President to Skip Ball Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients in Over 50 Years | Cleveland Leader

Text:

Obama Snubs Nation’s Heroes, Becomes the First President to Skip Ball Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients in Over 50 Years

Submitted by Julie on January 21, 2009 - 10:13pm

Barack Obama may have stumbled over his words briefly during his inauguration, but he made an even bigger blunder later Tuesday evening. The newly sworn-in President opted not to appear at what should have been one of the most important Balls on his agenda that evening - The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball.

The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball was begun in 1953 for President Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration. The event recognized recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. There were 48 Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, who were undoubtedly disappointed by the Commander-in-Chief’s failure to show. Over the past 56 years and 14 inaugurations, no President has skipped this event - until now.

The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball is sponsored by the American Legion, and co-sponsored by 13 other veteran’s service organizations, including those such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Instead of attending this ball honoring our nation’s heroes, Obama was busy making stops at 10 other official balls. Obama and his wife’s first stop was at the Neighborhood Ball. From there they went to the Home State Ball for Illinois and Hawaii, the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Youth Inaugural Ball, and the Home State Ball for Delaware and Pennsylvania. They finished off the night with brief appearances at the Mid-Atlantic, Western, Midwest, Eastern, and Southern regional Balls.

Celebrities were a plenty at the balls, with Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Mary. J. Blige, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, will.i.am, Sting, Mariah Carey, and Leonardo DiCaprio in attendance at the Neighborhood Ball. In addition, the other nine balls also featured a star-studded lineup including Kanye West and Kid Rock at the Youth Ball, Marc Anthony at the Western Ball, and Cheryl Crow at the Western Ball.

It was the party without all of the celebrities that Obama skipped. The very people who he sought to have support him during his candidacy and campaign, who have fought to protect this country, were snubbed in favor of publicity and the opportunity to rub shoulders - yet again - with the out-of-touch Hollywood elite.

Hey, if you can hang with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cheryl Crow, why the heck would you want to schlep around with a bunch of beat up old soldiers, right?

Sorry, I prob should have waited 93 more days before posting this. I’m sure that by then we’ll see that it was really the right choice all along. :wink:

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just curious— how many celebrities were at the Commander in Chief’s ball?

also there’s this:

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/8666

Craig Roberts, Media Relations Manager for the American Legion, issued the following statement:
"President Obama was invited but did not attend. Vice-President Joe Biden did appear, however, and was very warmly received. The new President’s absence was understandable considering the unprecedented logistical challenges presented by the vastly increased number of visitors to this inauguration and the necessary attendant security measures. The American Legion, as an organization, does not feel offended or “snubbed.”

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Funny that the American Legion, the sponsors of this soiree, don’t feel too bad about it:

Craig Roberts, Media Relations Manager for the American Legion, issued the following statement:

President Obama was invited but did not attend. Vice-President Joe Biden did appear, however, and was very warmly received. The new President’s absence was understandable considering the unprecedented logistical challenges presented by the vastly increased number of visitors to this inauguration and the necessary attendant security measures. The American Legion, as an organization, does not feel offended or “snubbed.”

But that doesn’t make as good a story, nor does it fit with your agenda, does it?

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Hmmm. Let’s see. Men of honor acting honorably. No that is not surprising in the least.

What is surprising is that this ball was not enough of a priority for Obama to attend.

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I’d like to see a list of all the balls, including the “big balls” that he skipped.

Maybe then we can determine what his priorities should have been, since he clearly can’t be trusted to make these decisions for himself.

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I’d like to see a list of all the balls, including the “big balls” that he skipped.

Me too. And let’s see how many of the other balls:

  1. had been attended by every president before him, and
  2. were in honor of recipients of the nation’s highest honor (or even second or third highest honors).

Obama can be trusted to make decisions. His decisions provide a great deal of insight. It is curious to see how people react to those decisisons.

Were it your decision would you have been the first president to skip the Medal of Honor ball?

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the list is here: http://www.presidential-inauguration.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=3&Itemid=32

10 official balls… and 122 unofficial balls.

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http://www.presidential-inauguration.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=3&Itemid=32

10 official balls (which Obama attended), and 122 f’in’ unofficial balls. Knock yourself out.

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Knock it off.

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OK…maybe he should have waited 93 more days :slight_smile:

~Matt
.

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What I would do is irrelevant, just like whether someone else went in the past is irrelevant.

We have no idea what his scheduling conflicts might have been, nor what the decision making process was.

The criticism is getting really silly around here. We’re only a week in.

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http://www.presidential-inauguration.com/...p;id=3&Itemid=32

10 official balls (which Obama attended), and 122 f’in’ unofficial balls. Knock yourself out.

The FIRST president EVER to blow off this one. Hell, even Clinton made it. Again…just some insight.

I understand that it means nothing to you.

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What I would do is irrelevant, just like whether someone else went in the past is irrelevant.

Every president before you chose to find time to attend the ball honoring Medal of Honor recipients and you find that irrelevant? Remarkable.

We have no idea what his scheduling conflicts might have been, nor what the decision making process was.

But isn’t that the point? Every other president found a way to honor these recipients but Obama couldn’t? Yes we can?

The criticism is getting really silly around here.

I understand, my guy can do no wrong. Got it.

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You know he did it because

  1. He hates America and

  2. Is a shitty president.

At least now you know who you’ll vote for in 4 years.

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If he actually makes it to the ‘American Samoa Society Ball’ then we should raise an eyebrow.

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***nor does it fit with your agenda, does it? ***

Agenda? No *agenda *here. Just an old military guy disappointed in another early decision made by our Commander in Chief.

Heck, maybe in 93 days we’ll find out that he just forgot.

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I am sure the Big O apologists will have a great explanation. besides the military does not need any recognition. All it needs is a heavy dose of “Hope, Change, Believe” and all is better!

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maybe he just didn’t want to see all the naked prisoner pyramids.

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It’s been made clear by the organization throwing the ball that security was an issue.

He attended all 10 official balls. Six of those were in the same building, which I assume made that “easy” for security.

Three of the other four were in buildings that one would assume would be easy to secure – a national guard armory, union station, and a museum.

The ball in question was in a large hotel. Not so easy to secure.

You guys can go on second guessing forever, or you can take the easy explanation that has already been offered by the very organization that threw the ball…but you’d rather complain, right?

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maybe he just didn’t want to see all the naked prisoner pyramids.

Oh my, aren’t we just too witty.

Unfortunately, I am confident that Obama shares your view of the men and women who serve in our armed forces and that opinion likely informed his decision to skip the ball. A decision with which I am equally sure you agree.