Obama Snubs Nation's Heroes, Becomes the First President to Skip Ball Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients in Over 50 Years
Barack Obama may have stumbled over his words briefly during his inauguration, but he made an even bigger blunder later Tuesday evening. The newly sworn-in President opted not to appear at what should have been one of the most important Balls on his agenda that evening - The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball.
The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball was begun in 1953 for President Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration. The event recognized recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. There were 48 Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, who were undoubtedly disappointed by the Commander-in-Chief's failure to show. Over the past 56 years and 14 inaugurations, no President has skipped this event - until now.
The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball is sponsored by the American Legion, and co-sponsored by 13 other veteran's service organizations, including those such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Instead of attending this ball honoring our nation's heroes, Obama was busy making stops at 10 other official balls. Obama and his wife's first stop was at the Neighborhood Ball. From there they went to the Home State Ball for Illinois and Hawaii, the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Youth Inaugural Ball, and the Home State Ball for Delaware and Pennsylvania. They finished off the night with brief appearances at the Mid-Atlantic, Western, Midwest, Eastern, and Southern regional Balls.
Celebrities were a plenty at the balls, with Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Mary. J. Blige, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, will.i.am, Sting, Mariah Carey, and Leonardo DiCaprio in attendance at the Neighborhood Ball. In addition, the other nine balls also featured a star-studded lineup including Kanye West and Kid Rock at the Youth Ball, Marc Anthony at the Western Ball, and Cheryl Crow at the Western Ball.
It was the party without all of the celebrities that Obama skipped. The very people who he sought to have support him during his candidacy and campaign, who have fought to protect this country, were snubbed in favor of publicity and the opportunity to rub shoulders - yet again - with the out-of-touch Hollywood elite.
Follow-up story: American Legion Acknowledges That Obama Failed to Attend the Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball
Comments
What I have to say about
What I have to say about your comment is bs.Bush walked into a mess left from Clinton, and I believe he did his best with what was left for him to clean up.
skipped ball
You need to get your facts straight before you start placing blame. 1.Your President Clinton was offered Ben Ladin a year before he left office and refused to take him. So if he had taken him before President Bush got into office there would not have been a 9/11, so get your facts right first. 2. Sometimes the intelligence agencies don't get the proper intell and when you do something that the intell was wrong you don't blame the person that did it, you put the blame where it belongs. 3. To me the Medal of Honor Ball is the most important ball there is to attend, especially for the Commander-in-Chief. It shows how much he cares about our military and what they offer to each one of us "FREEDOM" you idiot.
Skipped Ball ..... If I
Skipped Ball ..... If I remember correctly, Clinton was handed Bin Ladin's head 3 times, and Clinton refused each time. Clinton's administraion also spent more money going after Bill Gates than it did going after Bin Ladin. Obama thinks that Bill Clinton was the "cat's meow". Grab your ass and kiss it good-by, 'cause we're in trouble !
if you will remember
if you will remember correctly..it was Clinton who did nothing to stop 9/11. It was on his watch that everything started to come into play. He could have prevented this but was too concerned with his "pleasures" to care.
Who is the real jerk here?
You are!
umm, wrong Linda. These
umm, wrong Linda. These recipients put themselves in harms way to protect the freedoms and this country. The very LEAST the new COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE MILITARY can do is spend time with them thanking them for their service. BUT, he'd rather spend it with Jayz, Beyonce and Kanye West, you know the IMPORTANT people, the same asshats that the sheeple worship and everyone without a brain hangs onto to find out how they should vote.
linda stark
No one asserted that he was to be forced to go, he just began his revelation of how naieve [read ignorant] he truly is when it comes to the operation and traditions of the capitol of this still great nation. This is a tradition that has lasted almost sixty years and I think it correctly shows his contempt for the country he now presides over. This is just a stepping stone for this man anyway, dedication and commitment have nothing to do with his real adgenda, it is probably "too white" of a thing to do for him anyhow"his words". Read any of his books to see how truly despises the caucasian half of his heritage. At a point early in his senatorial term he expresses correctly what an assenine idea it is for someone of his very limited level of experience to even consider running for, let alone being president, yet here he is. That leaves me to wonder about the cumulative intelect of this country at this time in history, we elected a face, a mouth and a representation of "political correctness" when we actually needed a leader for a president. A pure case of bad timing one might venture. I just hope linda, that you are capable of holding the "messiah" to the same standards that you expected President Bush to fulfill. You, in all of your infinite wisdom say that he was warned. How nice of you to put so much faith in someones statement. How was he warned? I suppose you think that he was told exactly what was to transpire, either that or you recon back to reality and the fact that the warning that truly did exist was probably more like "the United States is under threat of terrorist attack" interesting huh? Seeing as how we are most likely always under that threat how do you propose that he defended against this? Look into his crystal ball? Get real, and get ready, because when the inevitable does happen I'll bet you will again look to the "war mongers" to protect your lily white ass! Please enjoy your life in the fish bowl you have created, as I now assert that you are the true "JERK" here. P.S. Feel free to respond, I wait with baited breath. Yes I am a little bit of a conservative.
Think ... before you post. lol
I'll start with this one: "I feel he is/will do alot for this country better than Bush did." He is do? lol
"Remember 9/11 should never have happened Bush was warned about it and did nothing so who is the true jerk here?" I'd say Bill Clinton since he had every chance to eliminate OSB and failed to do so.
In closing, get over the itsBushesfault mentality. He is no longer in office. Time to find another scape goat!
"The true jerk"
The true jerk concerning 9/11 is Clinton! He had warning and truly did nothing though military intelligence showed him how dangerous Bin Laden was. When he was a senator he said we should "take him out" but when he had the authority as president he buried his head and passed the buck to Mr. Bush.
Your a jerk
It was Clinton that was warned about Osma Bin Laden. He did nothing about him. No president has missed this ball in 56 years. Obama doesn't care a bit for this great country.
Please Buy a book.
I am amazed at the level of the self righteous ignorance of some of the people on this blog. People, people, people don’t you ever read books? Or at least look at all the facts before you talk? I’ve been out of the country for years, doing what, I can’t tell you, but for go gosh sakes people educate yourselves before you start spewing out an opinion that was spoon fed to you by people who don’t have the brains, the commitment or the ability to do the job they are criticizing.
My grandpa always told me respect the person whose job you would not like to do or the job you can not do and only criticize if you could do better.
Skipped Ball
Moron - those who give All, should get 20 minutes of the commander-in-chiefs time. Unless of course, a concert of black liberal suck head performers are at the next venue. Boycott them all!
Skipped Ball
Bush could have stopped 9/11. I guess that I have heard it all now. If you would care to take off your rose colored glassed and get your head out of you know where and look back at the history leading up to 9/11 then the one to blame would be old "romancing the interns" bill clinton. He had the golden oppertunity to blast the bas&*@d off of the face of the earth but didn't want to because someone from one of those arab contries was there and was probably one of the ones that was giving him money. I am sure that obama will do a lot for our country, a lotta stuff that we will pay dearly for in the future. So wake up, smell the coffee, and quit falling for the I am the great one speaches. Look at what's happening and what is going on in this country........ or maybe you would rather go through life with your rose colored glass on and sit around the fire with a peace symbol around your neck singing cume by ya with the rest of the left wing loons.
skipped ball
That is a typical democrat monuver. Take the attention off the matter at hand and direct it towards something or someone that has nothing to do with the point being discussed.
Lady, you don't know what
Lady, you don't know what you are talking about!
no...
You are wrong. President Bush was NEVER warned about the Terrorist attack on 9/11. Who could have known, from such a bizarre and surprising historical event? Bush never knew that their was a possibilitry of 4 planes crashing into the towers at that time, along with anybody else. Even if he knew about it, would it even be humanly possible to stop the planes after the terrorist's aboarded? Besides, the terrorists were from the Middle Eastern area most likely, so how would he have the chance to contact them? In my opinion, Obama would have a better chance of that since he grew up in that area.
SKIPPED BALL
IN ALL DO RESPECT, I THINK YOU SHOULD GET A GRIP ON YOUR HISTORY!
FORCED
I'M SORRY I FORGOT TO ADD THIS TO MY FIRST REPLY.
YOUR RIGHT, HE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FORCED TO GO TOO ANY EVENT, HOWEVER, I INVITE YOU TO READ SOME OF THE CITATIONS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR AND THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IF YOU WERE JUST SWORN IN AS THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES.
bush was not the one warned
bush was not the one warned about it clinton was, and FAILED to do anything about it. Well to give clinton credit , he was too busy not having sex and disarming the military while creating the mortgage system that s causing us so much problems.
The president has had 2 total years experience and 2 added years of campaigning for his current media hipped position. thats why so many clinton administration people are being added.
its a shame that the people who were responsible for the freedom he is now enjoying were not repected by him better
Open your eyes
It seems that so many people have had their eyes closed for so long that they are incapable of connecting with reality any longer. I am not an Obama supporter and I have served in the Military under both Bush's and Clinton, and I have issues with all of them. Let me point out the previous bash on G.W. Bush regarding being warned and ignoring the 9/11 attacks, maybe the history lesson should reach a little further back in time. Bush is not the one that funded and trained the same people that carried out the 9/11 attacks. Now with that being said, let us look again at the article in comment. It doesn't say one way or the other whether Obama knew or ignored the Medal of Honor Ball, it just says he didn't go. As the newly elected Commander In Chief this should have been one of the first stops on his ball hopping schedule, if for no other reason than to say "Thank You for your efforts that allowed this day to even be possible". If you do a little research and see what it takes to earn the "Congressional Medal of Honor", you might actually have your eyes open long enough to accidentally see the writing that is written BOLDLY on the White House walls.
Wow, what a childish and
Wow, what a childish and ignorant statement... "He's the President he can go wherever he wants" is pretty much what you're saying. And FYI, this MOH ball was to honor and represent exactly what someone did... honor those who gave their lives to preserve America's freedom.... even ignorant and embarrassing Americans like yourself. Show some respect Ms. Stark.
oh my gosh. are you freakin
oh my gosh. are you freakin series bringing up Bush and 9/11 hello it would have happened even with Gore in office, the shit in the middle east has been brewing since the cold war when we dropped a hole hell of a lot of guns in their laps. maybe you should read up on your history and not just read the headlines of liberal national newspapers.
MOH Ball skipped by the new "Pres"
9/11 never would have happened if Clinton had done his job. I am so tired of the Liberal Left putting Bush down for problems the Liberals in the Democratic Party are mostly responsible for. As for the Pres not attending the MOH Ball, it is more than shameful, I think it borders on treason for the new commander in chief to ignore these very deserving American Heroes. Shame on you Hussein.
skipped ball
u r so uninformed and delusional, Linda. 9/11 happened because another non-military president -draft dodger named Clinton didnt have balls enuf to take Bin Laden when he could have. Now we have another pacifist in office . God Help Us and our children
Obama and the land of the almost free
Clinton knew that 9-11 was going to happen and did nothing. Has anyone else noticed that the very people that created the Iraq mess are BACK in office at Obama's invitation?
Obama has an agenda, he wants to open our doors to the Muslim Nations. He wants to award contracts for road projects for men and women who are here illegally. He appoints a gun banner to the office that is supposed to PROTECT the 2nd amendment rights, and he refuses to hold his hand over his heart during the national anthem, and snubs soldiers in the desert, and now at home. He has an agenda alright. We have elected not only a draft dodger, but NOW an anti-war zealot.
Perhaps he can be like those guys in Washington DC, who arrest people for defending themselves. ONly with him, it will be arresting people for saying negative things about Islam.
I trust the man as far as I can throw him.
wow we are the nation of fools!
i see some of you actually have done some research into this farse we have called elections of change, anyone with a computer and alittle effort can research most of this subject on many different engines.
we are truly a nation of fools ! we elect people on promises! fact is most politicians will readily admit they would do or say almost anything it takes to secure an election.
fact is most campain finances are from the very people we are trying to get this country out from under, such as the special interest groups, this bailout has already been earmarked for the ones that helped elect obama [ anyone watch the news?]
our new president probably didnt want to attend a ball that he is going to increase its membership. [ the 30,000 additional troop surge to afganistan, also on the news.]
another interesting fact, several of our new comander in chief's friends and allies are currently under indictment, in illinois, due to fund mismanagement, mob affiliation, shady real estate deals, research obamas highend townhome and how it was aqquired , and also who set up the financing for the obamas to get it. { currently under indictment for fraud, money laundering and mob affiliation.]
WHAT IS TRULY SAD IS WE ARE FIGHTING OVER A COMMON CAUSE! WE NEED TO BECOME UNITED IN THE FACTS, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE THE RIGHT ONE IN THIS STUPID ARGUEMENT AS TO A BALL.... DO THE RESEARCH, AND GET THAT INFORMATION TO AS MANY FREINDS AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT THEY TOO MAY GET THE INFO TO THEIR FRIENDS, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND THERE ARE STRENGHT IN NUMBERS, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! IT STILL IS WE THE PEOPLE, UNLESS YOU LET THEM DIVIDE US...... THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE COUNTING ON........ EDUCATE YOURSELVES, FOR OUR NATIONS SAKE.... WE CANNOT AFFORD IGNORENCE NOW, OUR ENEMIES ARE COUNTING ON IT!
Give me a break - Bush abused our military for 8 years
4300 dead, 34,000 with serious wounds, 100's of suicides, and 350,000+ with PTSD, DUI which will cause birth defects of the offspring, TBI and how many failed marriages due to the stress of this unnecessary war? There were over 50 balls in the DC metro area and just because some staff person missed this one doesn't mean that Obama doesn't care about any of the people at the 40 other balls including this one. I will judge Obama after the first year and if he gets 25% of the items he promised I will consider him 100% mission completed. Many of the promises made were before the Bush depression him the world.
MOH
Why don't you look a little deeper to Clinton. for not paying atention to what was going on before 9/11/01
More work and less play in oval office should have been what he was doing.
This ball should never have been missed by him.
The Clinton administration
The Clinton administration was aware of Osama's intent and his where abouts before the Bush Administration was elected into office and refused to do anything about it. Jerk? Who?
What do you mean forced to do something he doesn't want to do!!?? It should be an honor and a priviledge do attend such a ceremony to honor those and all who have served and scarificed so you could post such ignorant replies without consequences. Do you also feel that it is o.k. for someone who want to be the Commander and Chief of this GREAT NATION to not place their hand over their heart when saying the Pledge of Allegiance? Or are you o.k. with that as well?
Oh well, I don't have all day to continue this but, you might not be 5 years old, but how old are you? I imagine very young and uneducated, free spirited, free loving, and full of world peace belief.
Skipped Ball
So Bush was warned. How many times did President Clinton let Osama walk free???
Jerk
Answer to your question - YOU. A president should have honored Medal of Honor Recipients before the Hollywood Elites. You are correct in saying the balls "are saying look at me". So now you look at him and tell me where he felt it was important for him to be seen? Before Veterans, who haven't much money or clout or Hollywood celebs, who have lots of money and clout! I wanted to believe in Obama, after all, if he is successful we all win. But so far, his record is not impressive.
As far as 9/11 goes, I would say the poor functioning of our intelligence is largely to blame on the Clinton adminstration's stripping it of power. Bush strengthened it; now I fear Obama will once again weaken it.
Believe me this isn't the
Believe me this isn't the only thing he has done to show America the true meaning of his presidency. Approving tax payer money for abortions world wide is another while Nancy Pelosi says birth control and abortions will help spur the economy. Give me a break. You will be getting the check and soon.
Not Paying for Abortions
You have it wrong. This money is NOT for abortions. This money is to help impoverished people, and sometimes, because of their extreme conditions they need to take drastic measures. Either that or the baby will die anyway. 25,000 kids PER DAY die of poverty. And the number is even greater for adults in these third world nations. The best way to prevent abortions is to prevent chronic poverty. Poverty is NOT caused by laziness.
Abortions
How about a little self control and abstinence. Although, their philsophy is to kill them now before they kill us!
ABORTIONS
YOU ARE RIGHT POVERTY IS A NASTY KILLER, HOWEVER, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE POOR WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US.
THE USA HAS GIVEN MORE AID, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, TO OUR AFRICAN NEIGHBORS THAN ANY NATION IN THE WORLD, EVER.
POVERTY DOES NOT CREATE ABORTIONS, LOOK AT MOST OF THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND THEIR ABORTION RATES.
IT IS TERRIBLE THAT CHILDREN, OR, ANYONE SHOULD DIE OF STARVATION, BUT TO RIP APART A BABY IN IT'S MOTHER'S WOMB IS HEINOUS, AND YES A GREAT DEAL OF THIS NEW MONEY WILL NOW GO FOR ABORTIONS.
yes
his entire presidentsy is a sham. and me myself as a soldier protecting your freedom to elect such an unexpeirenced president and to try to spin the truth of every mistake he makes to look as though it's just a coincedence or someone elses fault or it's raceism. he so far has said he will follow a different direction as bush, that has changed he forgot part of the inaugural address which to me says he is not inteligent enough to even run a company let alone the country, he skipped what i would consider the most important inaugural ball that goes on, he for a while untill told by his advisors refused to ware the AMERICAN FLAG laple pin. the only reason he was elected is because people thought it would be a good idea to elect a black president not that have anything against black people but Obama is not anywhere near fit for the job. Honestly i think that a chimpanzee would be better fit as president than obama. I also think that Bill Cosby should run next election he actually has some morrals.
"YES"..So you think Bill
"YES"..So you think Bill Cosby is morally more acceptable than President Obama huh? I love old Bill but didn't he have an illegitimate child while he was married?
Obama
You stated "Are you kidding me" then went on about "Oh it isn't that bad."
REALLY?
Just one more little dig at his true colors. Obama will never be presidential material PERIOD.
The sham is his illegal election/presidency
Would you really expect an illegal alien who supports terrorist countries and a terrorist religion to honor America's heroes??? Wake up America and keep your arms close!
Presidential Legacy ruined for not attending a ball?
If you think that it is just about missing this ball then you need to crawl back into the closet you have been living in. This act of missing the ball is just a cherry on top of everything else he has and has yet to do...
You missed the whole point!
You missed the whole point! Sorry you are in a world of your own! You need the reality check!
You obviously didn't defend
You obviously didn't defend the front lines that gives you the right to sound off.
It's clear that our new president is off in his actions!
His first executive order was for the benefit of the terrorist, not the American public. His first televised media appearance was with an associated terrorist network. At his first post innaugural balls he skipped and snubbed our nations highest military honorees to show off in front of movie stars and singers and rappers. Is there a theme here? He is bringing change no doubt, but not for the good of the American public. It's going to be a long four years! Is it too late for Al Gore?
Yes, please do a reality
Yes, please do a reality check, think about it --- with your own brain,
President missing Ball
I don't know whether the President knew about this ball. I think that the issue goes much deeper. It goes to how he really feels about our soldiers and this country in general. If all our other presidents made it.Then why not him.
Just because President Obama
Just because President Obama missed one ball out of many, does not mean he doesn't care for the troops. I mean Obama can't be everywhere and it was probably the Secret Service who asked him to limit his balls to a certain number.
Obama limited the number of balls?!?!!
Oh, he just happend to missed this one. Yeah, right!!! However, he managed to attend the balls where the celebrities were. Come on!!!! Open your eyes!
If limited to certain
If limited to certain number, then why not skip the one with the celebs?????
OBAMA CARING FOR THE TROOPS
BEFORE OBAMA BECAME PRESIDENT: HE WENT TO IRAQ. THERE WAS
A EMAIL FROM A SOLDIER IN IRAQ THAT STATED THAT OBAMA SNOBBED
THEM OVER THERE.
OBAMA WANTS ONLY TWO THING. TO MAKE HISTORY BEING THE FIRST
BLACK IN OFFICE AND BEING THE HEAD OF THE SOCIAL POPULATION
AND SOCIALIZING WITH ONLY THE WEALTHY.
I would NEVER defend a
I would NEVER defend a commander-in-chief for NOT showing up for a function such as this. It is indefensible, but let's not mince subjects here.
Since you brought up socialism, et al, in 1939, just before the Holocaust, the National Socialist party (Nazi's) in Germany grabbed insurance companies and banks from the private sector (namely those not owned by the Nazis) as a grab of money and power; if you're bringing up socialism v. national socialism, read your history book. The outgoing regime was as close to a fascist dictatorship as the western world has seen since Stalin and Hitler. Bush giving unlimited power to Paulson was much what Hitler gave to Goering at that time, rewarding friends of the Nazi's with money, power, all under the guise of patriotism. The Wall-Street bailout is our most vivid recent example of National Socialism (the real name of the Nazi party) by definition.
National Socialism is far more dangerous than plain ol' socialism that the Right has convinced its flock to fear......the neocons are the neo-McCarthys. The real fear is that there are those who wish to nationalize our banks and insurance companies; that came from the outgoing group. Where did the 350 Billion go under Paulson? While you subjected this thread to the "S" word, watch all of your government....trust none. President Washington warned us of the power of party politics; paraphrasing that the American people will suffer and the national interests can be blinded by party interests. He might go on to say that blind patriotism in the spirit of any party over the interests of all of us would be a form of treason.
My point is that our surviving MoH recipients fought mostly against National Socialism and against totalitarian dictators. Removing civil libertiies and hiding behind religion, the outgoing neocons were successful in bringing us as close to becoming who our MoH soldiers fought most against. There are no real conservatives in Congress or government anymore; they were hijacked by the outgoing administration. So, be careful about who you follow; I am a former GOP member who now has nobody who speaks for him and now votes completely independent by using my cynical mind to follow rather than blindly following any party line.
Now, back to missing a "ball". Albeit very important in the face of those who defended us from Hitler and Stalin and others, missing this function is an abomination (not Obamanation); let's ditch the adolescent name-calling which DIDN'T work in 2008, but worked for Bush because he had no real competition. Keep the discussion on track. While Obama was wrong, we've all let our leaders work us over. Thank goodness we do have our MoH recipients still with us. They should be disappointed and let the new Prez know it, publicly. NOW!!! My guess is that Obama would listen and "change" more readily than the outgoing administration who listened to nobody. Any leader who "forgets" or "ignores" such an important constituency should be held accountable, particularly by veterans and military specifically in this case.