On 12/2/2010 11:43 PM, Don Foreman wrote:

You regard criticism of an elected official as anti-American while
claiming to be educated in political science?

You disrespected the office. Every conservative I know would call that
being anti American.


The president's conduct clearly shows that he doesn't respect the
office but regards it as a posession and position of power won by
election and public mandate.

You can tell all that just by the absence of a salute? Admit it, you
just have no respect for Obama so you find fault everywhere.


The office does indeed deserve respect, and the conduct of the person
in that office should exhibit such respect. The way he chose to
behave re SSG Guiunta is way off base for the CIC of our armed forces.

Okay, what percentage of Americans agree with that view? 2%? Probably
less. The fact is you have to be way out there to hold that kind of
view. Oh, the president didn't salute the guy he pinned the medal on.
That really means a lot. Well, not to anyone that's normal.



Noting his gaffes in no way disrespects the office. It does note the
behavior of the man in that office regardless of party. We do that
in a civil society. We didn't accept the egregiously disrespectful
transgressions of Clinton or Nixon. We should not pretend that the
emperor is fully clothed when he isn't.

Funny you mention Nixon. I saw a get together today on Book TV that took
place at the Nixon Library. Nobody there acted in any way that they had
anything but respect and admiration for Nixon. Of course, those were all
republicans but it shows that as bad as the behavior of Nixon was it has
been accepted and forgiven by the republicans. I predict it won't be
long until the right wing kooks like Ann Coulter will be trying to
rewrite history and telling us how great Nixon was like she and others
now do for McCarthy. So knock it off with the Obama is disrespectful
stuff. It's bunk.


A president and CIC choosing not to salute a soldier in his command,
medal winner or not, displays arrogant disrespect if not contempt.

This isn't about a vague "hope and change" political slogan or party
politics, it's about the arrogant, oafish and inappropriate behavior
in this instance of the man who is currently our elected civilian CIC
of our men and women in uniform, who deploys them into mortal combat
as CIC.

The buck stops on the desk in the oval office.


Well, I just happened to see a rerun of the president giving the guy his
award. Obama shook his hand, put the medal around his neck, and gave him
a little hug. Nothing out of line there in the least. You really have to
want to find fault to criticize him in this case. Which is exactly what
you did. Your criticism is as petty as it gets. It was simple
bitchiness, completely political in nature. Obama did nothing wrong, period!

You might have instead found fault with the medal being given at all if
you ask me. Try placing this award in line with some of the others given
over the years. You'll find that this is really nothing more than a
bronze star event at most. I'd say that this was a case where the
military was trying to find someone to pin the medal on. Read what John
Basilone did on Guadalcanal and compare it to SGT. Giunta. I know the
sergeant doesn't feel he deserved that medal. I'd say he's right. So
maybe Obama knew that the guy didn't deserve the medal in the first
place and that is why he didn't salute him.

Hawke