Obama Snubs Nation's Heroes?

Actually the heroes ball was an unofficial one, which meant that they were not expecting Obama to show up. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/01/18/inaugfashion0118.html Obama attended all 10 official balls, and that's it.

I really don't think this is that big of a deal. We all know that the vast majority of the people in the military vote republican, because republicans spend more money on the military so those defense contractors will support their reelections. I think Obama did a good job of making it to as many balls as possible. You can call it a political snub, then you can, but it doesn't bother me one bit that he couldn't make it there, and I am sure that they weren't to bothered either (seeing how most people in the military didn't vote for him).

DOnt know why ya should be surprized at that When he wouldnt go see the wounded over where was it Germany? When he visited for he couldnt take cameras in the hospital with him. I do think it is a slap in the face of our National Heros! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

It is par for the course. And i think this should be a good indicator where our military will stand in his priorities.

My husband is in the Army and we skip the balls every year. Why are people getting mad at Obama when they themselves have forgotten about our vets. Obama is one man, People of the United States have been forgetting the Vets way before Obama even thought about running for president. Let me tell you about the balls also. Military balls can be nice during the ceremony, Then they get drunk! You have wives taking off thongs and throwing them, People in uniform throwing up in public from being drunk, fighting and all kinds of ignorant stuff. I am a Army wife and my husband is in Iraq with ovr a dozen deployments under his belt. Iraq is not the first time he has had to be deployed to defend our country. The ball does not mean NOTHING! Get these homeless vets medical care and get them off the streets from living homeless. Now if Obama ignores thefact that vets are being and have been treated like crap. Then he has defnitely done wrong. Going to a ball for a ceremony and drunken ppl is not not priority. The people of this country are priority. That ball is a party and actually I am tired of president's partying. I want to see somebodyin that white house actually working. Things have changed in the US and the party is over. Let look at reality. Reality is not having a good time. Reality is looking at the problems & issues of this county & solving those problems. I want my husband home I do not want him to continue to go to war and in order to get him home and the other members of the military somebody in that white house has to work. So please do not get upset because he did not attend a "PARTY" Get pissed if he does not do something about that 22 yr old guy that sleeps in a box right on your main street in your town.

Well I assume from your post saying that all other Presidents since it began in 1953 has attended this ball following their inauguration that Bill Clinton attended it even though he skidaddled off to England to avoid going in the military and used his education as an excuse. Well its a shame Barack Obama did not see fit to honor these people with his presence. It's men like this that have kept us a free country and others following them might be the ones he has to call on during his tenure in the White House. I think it is disgusting.

He didn't care about wounded vets before being elected and now this too. Well I really can't say I'm surprised. As a military wife I am deeply hurt by Obama's disrespect to our service men and women.

yes that was not good, but so far I see only the things you don't like about obama, did you to the same when bush was in power - point out his mistakes or are you planning on also pointing out the good that obama will do?

It's simple, Obama made it a point to go to the balls that honor HIMSELF. No other balls mattered to him.

I don't see this as a snub. The inaugural balls are given to honor the new president. The balls are not to honor the military. That's for another ceremony at another time. The fact that other presidents attended different balls is fine but it's still up to the president to decide. This year they had the first neighborhood ball which admitted ordinary people and that seemed important to the Obamas. If other presidents had had that opportunity, they may have attended also and eliminated another ball. It really doesn't matter since there is no protocol and attendence is at the discretion of the president. It's his day and he should be able to enjoy it however he sees fit.

When I first read this discussion I thought how right you are, this was a snub and I couldn't imagine what reason there would be for it. However, I decided to look it up and see if I could get to the bottom of it. Here is one source from which I got my information: http://isaacs.newsvine.com/_news/2009/01/23/2345799-obama-blows-off-medal-of-honor-recipients-not-exactly?commentId=4987654 Below is an e-mail, in its entirety, from Craig Roberts, the American Legion's Media Relations Manager: In answer to your inquiry: The American Legion, as it has on every inauguration evening since 1953, hosted the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Banquet & Ball on January 20th. The quadrennial event is co-sponsored with fourteen veterans service and military service organizations and honors recipients of the Medal of Honor. Forty-seven of these heroes attended this year’s event which was held in the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. 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.” Thank you, Craig Roberts Media Relations Manager The American Legion 1608 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 This ball was held in the Renaissance Hotel which consists of 16 floors. There had been an event there the night before the Inauguration which Obama also did not attend, possibly because of the time and resources it would take to secure such a large building and to protect the President while he was there. I understand there will still be those who believe this was a terrible snub and that Obama should have done whatever it took to make an appearance there. However, from this e-mail it's clear the American Legion isn't offended, for what that's worth. Also, here's the latest update from the above article: Update: It would appear that, according to Stars & Stripes that Obama had some Medal of Honor recipients at an inaugural ball that he attended. This gives the number of living Medal of Honor recipients as 99, but I believe that two have passed away since that number was compiled leaving 97. There are 7 in this picture and there were 47 at the American Legion inaugural event. I'm curious if there were more at the event this photo was taken at. (End of update) Annie

As a Canadian I've been watching President Obama, and hes not your usual President. He's a Horse of a different color. If you have noticed, he never does anything with out a Good Reason. For instance he chose a very straight laced Preacher to at his swearing in. He did this to bring the Religious Right over to his camp. ( not to show he was against abortion) I believe his absence from the Military Ball was to show America and the World that this Administration is not Military Minded. Not that he doesn't honor Military heroes, but that his Government will put Diplomacy first and Military Might second.

I think it is awful that he missed that ball to honor our soldiers but I do think he had his own reasons. I am not an Obama Worshipper but he usually has his own agenda for doing things. I hope he does not continue in this way with our military but he is not a military supporter, wants to pull our military out of the hot zones overseas so I think you will be seeing quite a bit of moves regarding the military that you wont like. Incidently my Father was a US Korean War POW & drill instructor, My elder brothers were Marine and Army (Nam) and my son was Army (Iraqy Freedom). President Obama strikes me as wanting to concentrate on our economy and health insurance with our military being brought home and restructured. Our combate troops are been reassigned to crowd control against our own citizens because of the collapse of our economy. My son is in China since coming home from Iraq and refuses to come home to live. He is teaching English and makes more money in CHINA than he can in the US. This is crazy. All my son will say is that it is going to get very bad here and that are own military may be used against us. Can anyone say Marshall Law. Don't listen to me, I believe in the 2012 Mayan prediction and NASA about the solar maximus coming that will reverse the polar shifts and create havic on Earth. Who knows maybe President Obama is the foretold Antichrist...everybody scream now! LOL

Well I do not think it was a good idea to skip it...but it was an unoffical ball and he had 10 other officials ones to make an appearance at. Plus he was in his office bright and early the next morning. The man has to sleep sometime you know. But personally I think he should taken an extra 1/2 and gone to the ball. But that was his choice.

Whiteheather, This shows and proves that Barack Obama doesn't believe our servicemen are the heros that they actually are! To purposefully ignore the men who have made the sacrifices our soldiers have made is a slap in the face to the defenders of our country! As a veteran, my first feeling about this is one of anger in which I feel I would not even spit on Obama if he was on fire, but, that is not the christian OR the American soldier attitude. Our HEROS defend and protect everyone, even those who despise them for what they do!

I don't know which of the balls was the most important but it does sound like Barak and Michelle were having a ball. I would say that this was a mistake on the account of his advisors and not necessarily his own mistake. Of course the veterans should be honored and I am sure that Barak will find time to do this as time permits his busy schedule to do so. Crocket.

I'm not very surprised...lol...That's why I didn't vote for him.

This is so wrong. If it was not for the people who defend our country, we wouldnot have the freedoms we have. Those other balls should have been last.