Though the Rammstein visit had been planned for days, Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said that that Pentagon notified Obama military advisor Scott Gration only yesterday or the day before that he should not come.
The Pentagon "viewed this as a campaign event and therefore they said he should not come," Axelrod said. Obama has been at the base in previous overseas trips. He visited with troops--even played basketball--when he touched down in Kuwait during the Iraq and Afghanistan leg of his swing.
But Friday the Obama lie was exposed when the Pentagon said it merely told the Obama campaign they couldn't bring campaign photographers. Politico:
Chief Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell confirmed to Politico that Department of Defense officials cautioned Barack Obama's campaign that his planned visit to wounded American troops in Germany could not be political in nature and that he would be barred from bringing along campaign staff and reporters. He also said that Cindy McCain recently requested to visit sailors aboard the U.S.N.S. Comfort and was denied.
"Sen. Obama is welcome to visit Landstuhl or any military hospital in his official capacity as a United States senator," Morrell said in a brief interview. "But there is a DoD policy which governs campaigning and electioneering at military facilities that would have to be respected if he were to visit. That distinction was relayed and made clear to campaign, and they made a decision on their own based on that guidance."
So a private visit to the troops -- without the cameras -- wasn't acceptable for the Obama campaign. Then they compounded the offense by blaming the cancellation on the military. Unbelievable.
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Hat tip: Gateway Pundit
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Obama cancels planned visit to military hospital in Germany, tells staff he wants to go sightseeing
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