Obama to Skip Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington

[Airwolf]

The end of his presidency by electing someone better isn't going to come fast enough.

[bkg]

oh? why?  pre civil war does not count.

Reagan and GWH Bush both missed a Memorial day. May want read a little history. 

[Thor]

Reagan and GWH Bush both missed a Memorial day. May want read a little history. 

The truth is that no president has missed the Arlington ceremony on Memorial Day since 1992. That year, former President Bush attended a ceremony in Maine while campaigning for re-election. In 1992 our nation was not at war. President Bush was himself a decorated war hero  in World War II, risking life and limb to complete bombing missions in the Pacific and losing crewmates in the battles. His commitment to honoring his brothers-in-arms was never in doubt. So comparing 1992 to 2010 is not exactly an apples to apples debate.

UPDATE: As Robert points out in the comments, we failed to point out that President George W. Bush also missed Arlington’s Memorial Day ceremonies in 2002, when he joined Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, Secretary of State Colin Powell and a bipartisan congressional delegation for services at the American cemetery in Normandy, France, honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day. Certainly an occasion that was warranted.

However, is President Obama attending services here because of the honor of this particular location, or the geographical proximity to his other plans? The memorial at Arlington serves as a national celebration, which is why past presidents have made special efforts to attend, when possible.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/05/26/president-obamas-memorial-day-vacation/

And from an apparently leftist site:

In 1983, President Reagan was at a summit meeting, and the deputy secretary of defense — not even the veep! — placed the wreath. Nine years later, President George H.W. Bush passed off the wreath to Vice President Dan Quayle (who had used family connections to get a slot in the National Guard during the days of the Vietnam War draft). And in 2007, Vice President Dick Cheney took on the wreath mission, while President George W. Bush was in Texas, perhaps clearing brush.

If I recall, GWB had some sort of meeting with some diplomats at his ranch for that year. I could be "misremembering", though.
http://www.pensitoreview.com/2010/05/27/obama-not-the-only-recent-president-to-miss-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-ceremony/

I suppose that in looking at the different situations, 0bama's still in the wrong. It's as if he's putting his personal life ahead of the country and it's protectors. Furthermore, 0bama has continually expressed disdain for the military. NONE of the other Presidents ever did.

[TheSarge]

Reagan and GWH Bush both missed a Memorial day. May want read a little history. 

It sure as hell wasn't for a vacation. 

[bkg]

I suppose that in looking at the different situations, 0bama's still in the wrong. It's as if he's putting his personal life ahead of the country and it's protectors. Furthermore, 0bama has continually expressed disdain for the military. NONE of the other Presidents ever did.

Yes - I agree 100%. Just wanted to point out that through all the (deserved) hate and vitrial, Obama isn't the first.

[Peter3_1]

After failing to respond to two major floods, an oil well disaster, a mine ddisaster or two, followed by fund raising dinners, where at one Quail eggs and cavair preceeded the main course of Kolby beef, $17,000 a place was the buy in. He goes on vacation, in Chicago, vacationing after failing to doi his job, playing golf and cleansing his palare with Pizza.

Wonder what Jack Kennedy would think about that..........

[Revolution]

I wish I could go to Arlington and pay respects to those heros.

What an asshole!

[The Village Idiot]

When is the last time a President did not do this?

[rich_t]

When is the last time a President did not do this?

The last time a President missed the ceremonies at Arlington on Memorial Day was 2002 when President Bush spent the day in Normandy at the American Cemetery before attending a NATO summit in Rome.  The time before that was 1992.

[Revolution]

Is there anyone here with Size 16s that can make a trip to the White House?

[THA HOUSTON PIMP IS IN DA HOUZ!]

Is there anyone here with Size 16s that can make a trip to the White House?

Naw, that wouldn't work; the shoe would go right straight through the reamed out bunghole of Obama from all the hershey highway treatment he accepts during his bowing apology worldwide tours.