Honoring the fallen? Or using soldiers' bodies for political capital?
Before dawn this morning, President Barack Obama went to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects to 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan as their bodies were returned to the United States. The dead included seven Army soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Administration agents who died when their helicopter crashed on Monday. The media were allowed to be present only after one of the grieving families gave their consent. Associated Press photographer Pablo Martinez Monsivais took this photo.
(Click here for a gallery of photos.)
It was the first time Obama has gone to Dover to meet a plane carrying the bodies of dead warriors. Former President George W. Bush often visited with wounded soldiers and their families, but never went to Dover. Do you think it was appropriate for Obama to go?
The posters below don't have a clue. There is nothing wrong with his salute. He should be there every time a body is brought home. But, then he wouldn't get much done, would he?
Enough of these haters. Don't drape yourself in my flag and call yourself a patriot and then disrespect my Commander-in-Chief.
The Times should be ashamed of their Fox News headline.
Posted by: Right wing rhetoric | November 02, 2009 at 06:15 PM
The media was allowed one picture after one family member gave permission. WHAT ABOUT THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE REST if the soldiers. Here we go one says ok and he takes the whole _______ mile.
Posted by: stacy | November 02, 2009 at 03:42 PM
I think it is way out of line for him to go to Dover and do this. I feel it was about publicity plan and simple. I pray he never salutes my Son who is a Marine. He can is not even holding a salute correctly. He is so little knowledge that he does not know one does not salute when not in uniform.. It is very disrespectful to the family and soldier to take picture like this with the flag over it...
Posted by: stacy | November 02, 2009 at 03:39 PM
What a stupid question. No matter the party affiliation, he is commander in chief.
Posted by: JohnBull | October 30, 2009 at 11:52 PM
There's a reason there's only one photo of any of this - because the media was purposely kept away from this unannounced visit as much as possible. This shot was taken from some distance - thus the generally poor quality. I'm sure the teabaggers would like to make an issue out of it, but the only thing to pull from this is that the President went out of his way to welcome home those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
Posted by: Kenneth | October 29, 2009 at 01:00 PM