Obama Bails on Wounded Soldiers to "Tour Around a Little Bit"

By Erick Erickson
http://www.humanevents.com/
07/25/2008

Obama’s behavior toward American troops in Germany was so egregious, even the New York Times this morning is picking up the story. The Times writes, “It wasn’t perfectly clear whether the Pentagon asked the Obama campaign to cancel the trip outright or the campaign decided on its own -- after quiet pressure from military officials -- that a political trip to the base was inappropriate.” “The trip” was a scheduled trip to visit American troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, one of the world’s largest military hospitals.

US Democratic presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, makes a speech in front of the Victory Column in Berlin. Obama Thursday challenged a new generation of Americans and Europeans to tear down walls between estranged allies, races, and faiths in a soaring call for global unity at an unprecedented mass campaign rally in Berlin.(AFP/DDP/Michael Kappeler)

Initially, Obama claimed it would be inappropriate because he was in Germany on a political trip.

After reporters noted that Obama began his speech in Berlin by saying he was not speaking as someone campaigning for office and also met, in his capacity as a United States Senator, with German Chancellor Merkel, Obama changed his story. The story morphed to blame the military with the campaign telling reporters the military thought the trip was inappropriate.

The story then morphed again. Obama strategist David Axelrod told reporters the Pentagon said Obama should not go to Landstuhl.

Inconveniently, the Pentagon told NBC no one there knows why Obama cancelled his trip. In fact, a military spokeswoman announced Obama would be visiting only to then announce he would not for reasons unknown to the military.

The only thing we know from Obama himself is what Jake Tapper reported at ABC. “Obama noted that in a break from his whirlwind schedule, ‘we've got some down time tonight. What are you guys gonna do in Berlin? Huh? Huh? You guys got any big plans? ...I've never been to Berlin, so...I would love to tour around a little bit.’”

Mr. Erickson is the managing editor at RedState.