I've come alot closer to my full support of Obama, I just don't ever make total decisions when elections are months away, I also don't just look at the single person trying to give their resume, I look at how they present themselves, smear and slam are big no no's, and I look at who they bring close to them in their campaigns and try and figure out, if they win, who will they surround themselves with while in office ( and I hit the nail on the head, which I do for a living, as to the bush crowd, not exactly reading the future but seeing alot of what was to come do so! ), especially as to Federal Representation and the Presidential Office, more towards my Representation on who I would Hire.
I have been more than impressed with Obama's stance on Veterans, me being one but not needing the much needed enhancements across the board, I fight for my brothers and sisters who do.
But recently something very disturbing has given rise to the huge question of Why?!
I can't figure out why he, and his campaign folks, are seemingly dodging a call by Military Families, Military Personal, Veterans and Veterans Groups as well as other groups coming under the same umbrella of help for those serving and veterans!
This
Obama Won’t Commit to Event at Military Base is what's got me not only puzzled, but asking questions and wondering why he would need a nudge in the right direction.
A coalition of military groups is planning a nationally televised town-hall-style meeting with the presidential candidates near Fort Hood, Tex., the largest active-duty military installation in the country. But so far, only Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, has agreed to attend.
His actions and statements, compared to McCain's, a Veteran, have been showing he understands better than most, including McCain, exactly what is needed as to the Veterans but also should have been well in place before we sent troops into occupations of choice and not playing catchup, like we did during and after 'Nam, as these years have passed. Playing the political games that shouldn't even be involved when it comes to those who serve the Country not the Political Parties!
Carissa Pichard, of
Military Spouces For Change, and who's husband, a blackhawk pilot who just left for a tour in Iraq, is the Managing Director of the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium, which includes:
Organizers include American Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans for Common Sense and Military Spouse Corporate Career Network.
And many others.
I've placed a few replys, in mine and others posts, after Carissa first sent out the Press Release about this Townhall Forum. Everything is set up including CBS saying they will host it, a tentative date has been given but as Carissa says:
"I'm having extreme difficulty getting the Obama campaign to commit to this event, and we do not understand why," said Ms. Picard, whose husband is deployed in Iraq. "We made it very clear to them that if they would commit to the event, we would work with them on dates."
Which seems to be the Obama Campaigns main reason, right now, for the dodge, the tentative date first given.
A recent, today the 13th, article about the Townhall gathering:
Bell vets want Q&A with Obama & McCainIf you had access to the bookings calendar of the Bell County Expo Center and turned the pages to Aug. 11, you might read something like this: McCain and Obama need seating for about 6,000. In reality, the booking has been penciled in, with staff awaiting confirmation of a town hall forum put on by a consortium of military groups.
The consortium's managing director and spokeswoman, Carissa Picard, is excited that Sen. John McCain has accepted the invitation to speak at the forum, and holds out hope Sen. Barack Obama will do the same.
The gathering would give military men and women, their families and their communities the chance to get some questions answered, Picard said.
"CBS has agreed to broadcast the meeting live to the nation on Monday, Aug. 11," she said.
Carissa adds, in a recent e-mail:
If there is one more debate or town hall before the general election, it should be before an audience composed of the men and women whose service and sacrifice ensure that these events continue through their defense of our country and of our Constitution; particularly after six years of war.
This is the Press Release Carissa sent on the 10th:
MEDIA ADVISORY
Military and veteran advocates Invite senators McCain and Obama to Fort Hood Texas
Presidential Town Hall to Focus on Military and Veterans
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Carissa Picard, Managing Director, 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium, 254.554.1513, hoodtownhall@gmail.com.
2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall
Monday August 11, 2008, 9:00 pm (EST)
Bell County Expo Center
301 West Loop 121
Belton, Texas 76513
Hosted by the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium
To be carried live on the CBS Television Network.
A diverse group of non-profit organizations dedicated to serving active military, veterans, their families and their survivors has come together to invite the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to Fort Hood, Texas, for an in-depth discussion of the increasingly complex issues facing America's military and veteran community. The CBS television network has agreed to produce and broadcast the town hall meeting in prime time that evening.
Fort Hood is the largest U.S. military installation in the world and deploys the most soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of our continuing Global War on Terror. Consequently, the Consortium cannot imagine a more appropriate audience—or a more compelling location—for this event.
This Consortium represents organizations that provide services and support to our service members, veterans, wounded warriors, and their families. "We believe if there is one more debate or town hall before the general election, it should be before an audience comprised of the men and women whose service and sacrifice ensure that these events continue through their defense of our country and of our Constitution," said Carissa Picard, lead organizer and military spouse.
"This forum is NOT about being for the war in Iraq or against the war in Iraq. This is about the fact that there is a war in Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, and there are consequences to that war—consequences for our service members, for their families, for our country. These candidates are asking to be elected the next Commander-in-Chief and we believe that our audience, as well as the American public, will be extremely interested in knowing what they have to say about these issues."
In November 2004, the President was elected by a majority of 126 million votes. Today, approximately 27 million American adults are veterans. If we assume half are married, then there are approximately 40 million voters intimately aware of the issues affecting veterans and their families. Meanwhile, there are approximately 2.6 million Americans currently serving in our Armed Forces, either full or part-time. If you include their spouses, then we will have an additional 4 million voters sensitive to the needs of our veterans, wounded warriors, and military families.
In all, the veteran and military communities total approximately 44 million Americans—almost a quarter of the overall voting population and more than one- third of the total voting participation in 2004.
"The sacrifices these families endure are not abstract; they are borne out in illness, injury, post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, economic hardship, the daily agony of separation from family and friends; and finally, the ultimate sacrifice of our Gold Star families. Furthermore, those citizens who are not themselves members of the military and veteran community are eager to see that those who shoulder the enormous strain of wartime service are afforded the meaningful thanks of a grateful nation." adds Amy Fairweather, director of the Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, a group of organizations dedicated to improving services for military, veterans, families and survivors, many of whom have joined to invite the candidates to this historic forum.
The Consortium includes a diverse group of veteran and military service organizations including Disabled Veterans of America, the Brain Injury Association of America, and Sentinels of Freedom. These groups are working in partnership with the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs, state and local governments, and faith and community based organizations to deliver services and support to our military, veterans and families.
Picard adds that, "We sincerely hope the candidates will accept our invitation. We hope this event will remind American voters in November that his or her choice will have a significant impact on the lives and well-being of millions of service members, veterans, wounded warriors, and military families—including children."
Look around you, much of what you see and hear about what has been going on in this country is a Direct Result of our Occupations, mostly of Choice, of especially Iraq but also Afganistan.
But I will add my thoughts here, if 9/11 had never happened, and the power that really is still managed to get this Cabal into place, much of that which is happening in the economy, education, health, gas prices, you name it, probably would still have happened. These Corrupt People were out for One Thing, Wealth off the Backs of the Entire Country, Anyway They Could Get It, entrenced power was a big side want but not the leading want!
Just look at our Foreign Policy and the decimated State Department thus leading to a Total Lack of any Coherant Foreign Policy as people around the World see this and are Shunning any Attempts to even make it look like we have any policy!
I'm putting out a
Shout Out to Any and All Obama Supporters to make contact, in the form you choose, with their Campaign and Request, actually more than request, that the Senator Agree To This Important Townhall Gathering, with all the false, or lack of, rethoric these last years, and continuing recently in the press and campaigns.
The Military Personal and Their Families, as well as the Veterans of this Country, Need Direct Face To Face Answers to the Many Questions on Exactly where these two Candidates stand on a number of issues concerning them, Especially as these Occupations are showing No End and ramping up, as to Afganistan and not much better as to potential in Iraq!
Others have brought up either a Debate or a Townhall in New Orleans, I Agree Wholeheartedly with that Call as well!
But the Military Townhall is the Most Important to me, and if there is one in New Orleans another Townhall Format should be the way it should take place, to much can be played with in these so called Modern Debate Forums as we've seen over and over!!
Both of these Candidates owe answers to candid questions from more than these groups and this country, at a time we are still in two very dangerous theaters of occupation. They owe those who have died for their service, under the orders of this present administration, the 4122 in Iraq and 556 in Afganistan as of 7-18-08 as well as those tens of thousands injured and maimed physically and mentally. They owe their answers to the tens of thousands of family members of those serving mutiple tours and stop lossed, the very small percentage of this countries citizens actually sacrificing as the country goes about unraveled and seemingly uncaring.