Obama goes golfing instead of to Polish President's funeral....

http://www.wbj.pl/article-49272-obam...l.html?typ=wbj

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US President Barack Obama went golfing at the Andrews Air Force Base yesterday, it was reported, just hours after Poles had laid their late president to rest.

"On a cool but sun-drenched day, the president and three golfing companions head[ed] to Andrews Air Force Base on Sunday to play 18 holes. It is the 32nd time Mr. Obama has played golf since taking office Jan. 20, 2009, according to CBS Radio's Mark Knoller," reported the Washington Times on Sunday.

In an article posted on its website, the newspaper also reported that while US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden had taken the time to visit the Polish Embassy to sign a book of condolences, President Obama had not yet taken the time out to do so.

The plumes of volcanic ash that ruined travel plans throughout Europe last week kept other world leaders away from the funeral, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy - though there was no word as to whether they too had taken to the links.

Other world leaders found ways to attend the funeral, including Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who made an 18-hour drive, while Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus travelled by car and train. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych also attended.

The late president's close friend, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, also managed to attend, flying in from Georgia through Rome.

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Nice to know other world leaders found ways to get there....
32 rds of golf in a little over a year....
Bush played 24 rds in 8 years....
Real class act....

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Originally Posted by LawDog

http://www.wbj.pl/article-49272-obam...l.html?typ=wbj

Nice to know other world leaders found ways to get there....
32 rds of golf in a little over a year....
Bush played 24 rds in 8 years....
Real class act....

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He could have at least signed the book at the embassy.

Nice to know that he stayed put instead of risking a plane and crew.

Amazes me is the complaints from the peanut gallery on the fuel used for trips or staying home. Me thinks there's an agenda of hate on what the guy does. :eyes::eyes::eyes:

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Originally Posted by FredK

Nice to know that he stayed put instead of risking a plane and crew.

Amazes me is the complaints from the peanut gallery on the fuel used for trips or staying home. Me thinks there's an agenda of hate on what the guy does. :eyes::eyes::eyes:

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The First family of Poland, in fact a whole lot of the govt, was wiped out in that crash. He can't even take the time to sign the condolence book, and you defend that?
Other world leaders found their way there, gee, you'd think the leader of the Free World could have also.....there are other modes of transportation besides his jet you know....

I'm sure certain people here would have rather had Obama go to the funeral when it was unsafe to fly their. Guess you have not heard about the volcano that erupted in Iceland and that people trying to get their have been grounded at the airports waiting. Perhaps you also did not see the news with the airports closed in London.

Sure some people here would love to see the president on a suicide mission. Maybe the people that thought he should have gone anyway should have taken his place including the people here. Bet you wouldn't want to take that chance would you?

If the Joe average citizen can't fly their what makes you think the President can?:nuts:

"Planes, trains, and automobiles"
The President of Russia was smart enough to figure a way there.....

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If the Joe average citizen can't fly their what makes you think the President can?

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I checked the map. The White House is closer to the Polish Embassy than the golf course.

Some are being unfair, he picked an ash free golf course so going green is good.

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Originally Posted by Mac

I checked the map. The White House is closer to the Polish Embassy than the golf course.

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That left a mark.....:AHHH:

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Originally Posted by LawDog

"Planes, trains, and automobiles"
The President of Russia was smart enough to figure a way there.....

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Russia is closer to Poland then the US is. Perhaps you could not figure that out. Ask any Geography teacher. Think of the logistics involved in planning something like that. Of course if that were to happen then you would be bitching at the costs involved. Your never happy with anything the president does. Had he of gone their and Air Force one went down you would probably be happier than a kid in a candy store.

Remind me to tell you the joke about the rectum stretcher.

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Originally Posted by Mac

I checked the map. The White House is closer to the Polish Embassy than the golf course.

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How would going to the Polish embassy be the same as going to the funeral?. Your talking about signing the book, have you ever thought that maybe a letter of condolences was sent? Which in my opinion means more than signing a book.

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Originally Posted by Compu Doc

Russia is closer to Poland then the US is. Perhaps you could not figure that out. Ask any Geography teacher. Think of the logistics involved in planning something like that. Of course if that were to happen then you would be bitching at the costs involved. Your never happy with anything the president does.




How would going to the Polish embassy be the same as going to the funeral?. Your talking about signing the book, have you ever thought that maybe a letter of condolences was sent? Which in my opinion means more than signing a book.

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Air Force One is capable of making turns, and doesn't have to fly in a straight line. They could easily have flown somewhere else, even to Russia, and gone from there. Heck, he could have even hitched a ride with the Russians.
And I doubt you can find a post anywhere where I have complained about travel costs of the POTUS when he's travelling in official cpapacity....
As far as the book, it's a public gesture. And it's a heck of a lot more appropriate gesture than blowing off the funeral to play golf.

Just how long do you know of that it takes to get Air Force One ready with a planned destination with permission to land at said destination along with permission to fly over any country that might seek permission first. Then have the secret service check out the area first and secure the area. Do you think all that can happen within 2 days keeping in mind that their was a volcano eruption and is still erupting. Also keep in mind that Air Force One may have to land for fuel in between here and their because they would have to get their in a round about way. If it was possible at all.

Now before you answer with a response sit down and figure all the above out. Find out who would have to contact who and see if it was feasible at all. After you have all that information please post it here because their are some people who have been camped out at JFK Airport trying to get back to Europe. I'll pass the info onto the media so they can pass the info onto the stranded and maybe then they can take the same route.

Also FYI Sunday's are usually a day off for a person. Obama spent his day playing Golf, what did you do?.

Face it as long as he is in office you will do nothing but complain about anything and everything he does no matter what it is. If you did not have anything to complain about with the current administration you would probably shrivel up and die and the current administration is your source of life.

I don't get the point of this post, I don't for a minute think that the President did not attend for any other reason than the safety of the hundreds of military, secret service, staff, media and others who accompany the President where ever he goes. Sorry, there are a bunch more things I disagree with this President over.

A glance at flight disruptions due to volcanic ash

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Poland: Air space remained closed indefinitely, for landings and takeoffs of passenger jets. Planes can fly above 21,000 feet, or 6,400 meters.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100419/...uptions_glance

LD a lot of hot air you're putting somewhere. Hard to admit just maybe is was a better idea?????

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Originally Posted by chew 'n' spit

I don't get the point of this post, I don't for a minute think that the President did not attend for any other reason than the safety of the hundreds of military, secret service, staff, media and others who accompany the President where ever he goes. Sorry, there are a bunch more things I disagree with this President over.

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The point of the post is that the originator of the post makes him happy as a kid in a candy store to bitch and complain about every little thing the current administration does. If he had nothing to complain about he would cease to exist. Stuff like this keeps him going because he has nothing else to live for.

Off topic, but about the funeral, my daughter has a friend that lives in Poland in the city where the funeral was held and her family was told they had to stay inside their residence throughout the entire service. From what I can tell they live pretty close to the area. Tight security no doubt.

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Originally Posted by LawDog

http://www.wbj.pl/article-49272-obam...l.html?typ=wbj

Nice to know other world leaders found ways to get there....
32 rds of golf in a little over a year....
Bush played 24 rds in 8 years....
Real class act....

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Have you ever thought that maybe Bush sucked at golf or did not like to play golf?. How many rounds of golf did the Sr Bush play in his four short years in office since your keeping tabs on how many rounds of golf presidents play perhaps you can enlighten us. :pity:

Who gives a rats pa-toot who plays golf, Obama likes golf and spending our money, others just liked golf.

sooo France and Germany are even closer to Poland, we should find out what those leaders did during the funeral too! ...

Things in an article from another source that are quoted.

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A massive volcanic plume covering most of Europe forced President Obama to cancel a Sunday trip to Poland to attend the funeral of the nation’s president. But the last-minute change left an opening in his schedule, so the president headed to the links for a round of golf instead.

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After canceling the Poland trip on Saturday, the White House announced that Mr. Obama had no public schedule for Sunday. He was to have arrived in Krakow in the morning, attend the 2 p.m. funeral and leave for home by 5 p.m., arriving back at the White House

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Mr. Obama has not gone to the Polish Embassy in Washington since the accident, but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. both have. There, they signed a condolence book.

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Isn't the Vice President's job to fill in where the President does not?. Also notice how they are saying Mr. Obama and Adressing the Vice President and The Secratary of State correctly.

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Mr. Obama was not the only world leader to miss the funeral because of the expanding volcanic ash cloud. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also canceled.

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France is closer to Poland than the United States is, no one's griping about him missing the funeral.

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, however, flew by plane from Moscow for the funeral.

Other foreign leaders used different modes of transportation to get there. Slovenian President Danilo Turk decided to drive the 500 miles to Krakow. Romanian President Traian Basescu traveled to northwestern Romania by helicopter and then continue by car through Hungary and Slovakia.

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Highly unlikely that the United States President and everyone else that goes with him would have been able to logistically work the trip out. You have to look at how many days that would have taken if it could have been done at all. Flying to an airport that would be open and accomodate Air Force one and all the people with it would have been a nightmare to drvie 500 miles. It would have taken the secret service to secure the entire route. Chauffering the POTUS around is not like a funeral procession where all they have to do is secure the intersections. Every building needs to be checked out along the way. Every security detail needs to be completed beforehand. Logistically impossible.

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Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip made the 18-hour drive to the funeral, while Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus made the trip by car and train. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko left Kiev with his wife at 7 a.m. Saturday for the long road trip.

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Imagine any POTUS being driven for 18 hours in a motorcade?.

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Mr. Obama has played golf far more often than former President George W. Bush. In his eight years in office, Mr. Bush played just 24 times. His last time as president was Oct. 13, 2003.

He said in 2008 that he gave up golf "in solidarity" with the families of soldiers who were dying in Iraq.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," Mr. Bush said in a White House interview Saturday with the Politico. "I feel I owe it to the families to be as — to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

He stopped playing after he received word of a deadly attack in Iraq while playing golf during a stay at the family ranch near Crawford, Texas.

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Something the originator failed to mention in his post about Obama playing more rounds of golf than Bush. LD have you ever thought about running for office?. Leaving information out is how political campaigns are run when talking about the oppositions record or what was said in a statement.

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"They pulled me off the golf course, and I said it's just not worth it anymore to do," Mr. Bush said in the interview.

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So it does not seem like it was actually Bush's idea to give up golf but some adviser.

Source of above quotes: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...o-golf-course/

I find it funny that some could find a way to get into a global warming meeting in Copenhagen during one of the worst blizzards in history without problems.

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Originally Posted by TxMusky

I find it funny that some could find a way to get into a global warming meeting in Copenhagen during one of the worst blizzards in history without problems.

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Could this be the reason?

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Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions,[1] less than 2 millimetres (0.079 in) in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact with water causing phreatomagmatic eruptions, and ejection of entrained particles during steam eruptions causing phreatic eruptions.[2] The violent nature of volcanic eruptions involving steam results in the magma and solid rock surrounding the vent being torn into particles of clay to sand size. Volcanic ash can lead to breathing problems, malfunctions in machinery, and from more severe eruptions, years of global cooling.

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I would think that a jet engine falls under the category of machinery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_ash

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A blizzard is a severe storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy snow. Many blizzards are in the Canadian region. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. Ground blizzards are a variation on the traditional blizzard, in that ground blizzards require high winds to stir up snow that has already fallen, rather than fresh snowfall. Regardless of the variety of blizzard, they can bring near-whiteout conditions, which restrict visibility to near zero. Blizzards have a negative impact on local economies and for days at a time can paralyze regions where snowfall is unusual or rare.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard

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Snow is a type of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Types which fall in the form of a ball due to melting and refreezing, rather than a flake, are known as graupel, with ice pellets and snow grains as examples of graupel. Snowfall amount and its related liquid equivalent precipitation amount are determined using a variety of different rain gauges.

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In the above definition it makes no mention of "malfunctions in machinery" being caused from snow. Perhaps that is why a jet engine can be run in a snow storm. One would think that if snow caused "malfunctions in machinery" that their would be no such item that one can buy to clear snow called a snow blower.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow

If anyone ever wondered why I left about a year ago, or why UTAH and Truckman are not here now, just read through this thread.

You two (you know who you are!) take it to email, PMs, or out behind the barn. Anywhere but here. You are both welcome to post here, but when a thread becomes a pissing match it's time to move on. Use the PMs, email or whatever makes you happy. Just give the rest of us a break!

Mike

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Originally Posted by Mike

If anyone ever wondered why I left about a year ago, or why UTAH and Truckman are not here now, just read through this thread.

You two (you know who you are!) take it to email, PMs, or out behind the barn. Anywhere but here. You are both welcome to post here, but when a thread becomes a pissing match it's time to move on. Use the PMs, email or whatever makes you happy. Just give the rest of us a break!

Mike

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:worship:

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sooo France and Germany are even closer to Poland, we should find out what those leaders did during the funeral too! ...

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Why? They aren't our elected leaders. I know we're headed down the Eurosocialist path, but using the French President as an example for excusing rude behavior? Really?

I have no problem with him not flying to Poland, but he could have signed the book. Doc's admonishment to me that 'maybe' a condolence letter was mailed is an unsubstantiated red herring. If Obama sent such a letter, it was just as likely sent after this criticism and is therefore self-serving and irrelevent.

I have always expected more from our leader than I have the leaders of France or any other country...

seriously, Mac... this entire topic is a red herring... "the book" has been signed by both VP and Sec of State. I'm certain words of condolences have been expressed via many means. Why would he have signed the book at the consolate when there was every intention of being there in person the day of the funeral. So it ends up he had some unscheduled hours and he golfed... gosh I'm appalled. I only hope that he'll realize he has 6 years before he gives it up in solidarity of the war casualities and their families or he'll appear more callus than his predecessor

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I know we're headed down the Eurosocialist path, but using the French President as an example for excusing rude behavior

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rude behaviour? 6000 + flights have been canceled due to the ash cloud and its rude for world leaders not to fly to Poland during that event. Lets not even pretend that driving and riding a train on short notice are even concievable for the potus for all the obvious security reasons... we really shouldn't miss the lesson of why the Polish leadership is dead in the 1st place...

Did you read my comment?

yes and the book was already signed by 2 people who actions are representitve of the president, why would you expect him to go and sign it afterwards?

Why shouldn't we expect that?

Because he's the President. Once he realized he wasn't going to make the funeral, he should have signed the book. He could have done it on the way to the golf course, right after stopping for donuts for all I care.

This truly should win an award:uhuh::dunno::nuts:

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Originally Posted by Dave Grubb

This truly should win an award:uhuh::dunno::nuts:

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Sorry Dave, I've spent years studying leadership. Appearances matter.

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Originally Posted by Mac

Sorry Dave, I've spent years studying leadership. Appearances matter.

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As stated earlier Biden signed the book as well as Clinton. Also stated earlier the vice president fills in as representative for the POTUS.

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The vice president may receive foreign dignitaries -- a customary role of the executive branch -- and host state dinners. The vice president may also travel in the president's stead, to meet with foreign counterparts or attend state funerals.

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http://people.howstuffworks.com/vice-president3.htm

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In 1969, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey would have announced the election of his opponent, Richard Nixon; however, on the date of the Congressional joint session (January 6), Humphrey was in Norway attending the funeral of Trygve Lie, the first elected Secretary-General of the United Nations[8].

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Pr..._United_States

In the above example the then current Vice President of The United States was attending a funeral in Norway. Obama could have designated Biden to take his place for the President of Poland's funeral. Obama was going to go himself but at the last minute was not able to make it due to circumstances even beyond his control. Therefore Biden's signature in the condolences book should be and is sufficient. It is not necessary to have the president and vice president both sign the book. With Clinton signing the condolences book I would say the United States was well represented in expressing our condolences as a country.

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Originally Posted by Compu Doc

As stated earlier Biden signed the book as well as Clinton. Also stated earlier the vice president fills in as representative for the POTUS.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/vice-president3.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Pr..._United_States

In the above example the then current Vice President of The United States was attending a funeral in Norway. Obama could have designated Biden to take his place for the President of Poland's funeral. Obama was going to go himself but at the last minute was not able to make it due to circumstances even beyond his control. Therefore Biden's signature in the condolences book should be and is sufficient. It is not necessary to have the president and vice president both sign the book. With Clinton signing the condolences book I would say the United States was well represented in expressing our condolences as a country.

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You did not read my post.

I've read each and every post in this thread and as far as I am concerned in my opinion Obama did not have to sign the book. Done.

dump this puppy into purgatory

yup