Obama Honors the Fallen as a President Should
I’m not sure how I feel about President Obama’s reversal of George W. Bush’s policy of disallowing media coverage of the return of fallen military members to Dover AFB. Perhaps I’ll never really settle in on how I feel about such an emotional subject. I give myself that latitude.
But I definitely want to take the opportunity today to give the president credit for the classy way in which he welcomed my falled brethren early this morning.
Jake Tapper has the details.
20 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
It’s playing politics pure & simple. They won’t show the bodies falling from the WTC, but they piss and moan about this and not being able to show bodies after Katrina. Wonder why that is?
There used to be a journalistic ethic against showing any bodies of any sort, but I don’t get the impression that matters much anymore.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 29, 2009 @ 1:43 pm - October 29, 2009
I’d have given him some credit is his actions weren’t accompanied by a substantial print and television media contingent — but that’s just me.
Now we know what prompted the “reversal.”
Comment by Julie Kelleher — October 29, 2009 @ 2:01 pm - October 29, 2009
I hope the man-child President is finally growing up and taking an adult view of his role as Commander-in-Chief. I am not at all ready to send him kudos for fulfilling his obligation as President to put politics and campaigning aside in matters so fundamental as being decent by nature instead of by choice. I am not damning him with faint praise. I am being parsimonious with my admiration since what he did is what any decent President would do.
Comment by heliotrope — October 29, 2009 @ 4:06 pm - October 29, 2009
As a veteran of the US Navy, and having lost friends in the Vietnam War, I have always been opposed to media coverage of returning fallen warriors. It seems to me that the entire handling of these returns should be done with great respect for the family. And most families I’ve known have wanted to honor their family members and grieve in private.
It is far too tempting for the media to turn these things into public statements for their agenda, and media coverage inevitably becomes a political tool for someone.
Comment by mcswan — October 29, 2009 @ 4:17 pm - October 29, 2009
This is the most patriotic thing Obama has done or will do.
Comment by TrulyScrumptious — October 29, 2009 @ 4:47 pm - October 29, 2009
If I am not mistaken, I believe the family members are allowed to grant journalist access to the return of their fallen. (This is how it was reported on NPR this morning anyway.) If that is indeed true, it’s a better policy than just blanket access by the media.
Comment by Neptune — October 29, 2009 @ 5:30 pm - October 29, 2009
Kudos to President Obama for showing up for work!!! Woo hoo!
Comment by American Elephant — October 29, 2009 @ 6:09 pm - October 29, 2009
I think there’s an ointment for that. ;P
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 29, 2009 @ 7:01 pm - October 29, 2009
In WW2 we didn’t have that problem. No bodies were brought home.
Comment by John W — October 29, 2009 @ 10:26 pm - October 29, 2009
This guy just can’t not be in a photo! And what is this supposed to mean when he dithers around and puts off sending help for these poor guys under these flags and he has the gonads to rub their faces in it all the way to the end! THIS IS OBSCENE!!! He is disgusting. Just another moment about him, it’s all about him, we aren’t even talking about these brave souls and their families. WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES???!!!!
Comment by jeaneeinabottle — October 29, 2009 @ 10:51 pm - October 29, 2009
EVERYTHING is about HIM in some form or fashion. It’s an insult to suggest that there was no narcissism here at all.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 30, 2009 @ 12:21 am - October 30, 2009
Yes, but this was somber, melancholy, funereal narcissism. Call it nuanced narcissism. The One is showing us how gods distract as they dither.
Comment by heliotrope — October 30, 2009 @ 9:52 am - October 30, 2009
I’m still not a “fan”, but he did the proper thing as CiC.
Comment by John — October 30, 2009 @ 10:59 am - October 30, 2009
Uncle Jimbo at milblog Blackfive (Oct 29) is very critical of Obama’s visit to Dover.
Comment by pst314 — October 30, 2009 @ 5:25 pm - October 30, 2009
Would he have done it without a photographer there? I doubt it.
Comment by Rosalie — October 30, 2009 @ 8:16 pm - October 30, 2009
As I understood it, only one of the 18 families involved approved of the whole spectacle. Would the photo op have gone forward if all 18 had said no?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — October 31, 2009 @ 6:44 am - October 31, 2009
Bush disallowed the media because he didn’t want these kind of images exposing the human cost of the war. Obama allowed the cameras because he wants us to see the true cost of war and he wants us to see the last return home for some of most courageous and admirable people.
Comment by DavyJG — October 31, 2009 @ 11:30 am - October 31, 2009
Rosalie,
It was done “in secret”, but he then brought the press corp to watch. I doubt we would have heard a word of it if no one would have allowed him to get a photo.
I wonder what the other 17 families told him.
Bush did this with far more class, and preferred to meet the families in private, in a setting to make them as comfortable as possible for the situation. One of the bits that made Casey’s mom such a farce was her demands for Bush to meet her(to explain himself supposedly). . . he had already(I think twice, but once for sure), and even she admitted he seemed genuinely affected by the losses. That all changed once she was being pimpped as the anti-bush war hater mom.
Comment by JP — October 31, 2009 @ 11:41 pm - October 31, 2009
#17: “Obama allowed the cameras because he wants us to see the true cost of war and he wants us to see the last return home for some of most courageous and admirable people.”
Cram it, DavyJG. Two years ago, Obama cavalierly criticized these “courageous and admirable people” for “just air raiding villages and killing civilians” in Afghanistan. And the idea that Obama needs to enlighten us that the “true cost of war” includes the deaths of American soldiers is repugnant and obscene.
Comment by Sean A — November 1, 2009 @ 2:49 pm - November 1, 2009
all of us here KNOW what the cost of war is/was
i agree with those that say it was just a photo up 4 the cic…..anythin 2 get his face on tv & n the papers!
most of the families here n wa state ask…..err…..TELL the media 2 stay away-a few families have allowed the media 2 photograph the return of their fallen heroes [& i must say, the local news here does broadcast the return with sensitivity]
i wish BO would STOP ditherin around & actually b the COMMANDER IN CHIEF & make the decision bout what 2 do n afghanistan b4 the enemy makes it 4 him!
Comment by NARNC60AC — November 1, 2009 @ 10:16 pm - November 1, 2009