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
Yes he has
Of course he has done something for this country! He was deeply involved in creating this mortgage and lending mess we're all in today. If the media had been doing the job they should be doing (and claim to do), you all would have known about his role BEFORE the election. Look it up. He was part of, and prospered because of, ACORN and the Black Caucus which squashed the efforts to reign in the likes of Fannie and Freddie. "He was the second biggest recipient of political money and he had only been in WA for FOUR years!" Now he's going to "save us all", don't you know? Yeah, right. And then all of you mindless drones will hoist him high on your shoulders and worship him as your savior. Pathetic.
http://www.suzyrice.com/BIRD/archives/2008/09/obama-congressional-black-caucus-called-family-and-the-conscience-of-fannie-mae.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Black_Caucus
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDZiMjkwMDczZWI5ODdjOWYxZTIzZGIyNzEyMjE0ODI=#more
Obama Snubs Heros Ball
I VERY seriously doubt he will be the greatest President ever. He is now "the Commander in Cheif" - yet fails to realize that the main thing he is in charge of is our Military. He is only concerned with the people that can further his career - not the people who risk their lives for him every day. I will not cut him one bit of slack on this point!!!!
The main thing he is in
The main thing he is in charge of is the COUNTRY and the people in it, not the military. Commander in Chief is only one of many roles the President has. Maybe some of you guys need to learn YOUR history.
Hmmmm - Constitution class anyone?
Somoene needs to read the constitution. He is not nor has any president ever been "in charge of this country." We have representative republic that includes 3 branches of government - judicial, legislative, and executive. Executive does not mean "in charge" but rather that their job is to execute the laws that have been enacted by the legislative branch. This is done through the police and the military - the primary responsibility of the president.
But then again, if you voted for Obama, I'm quite sure you don't care at all what is in the constitution.
He's in charge of whom?
He's in charge of whom? Most of the employees and appointees of the Executive Branch of government - either by law, or executive order. He's in charge of the country and the people in it?
As for history - I think you're referring to something else - like the role of the Chief Executive in a representative political system.
sad day
I myself am military for over 12 years now and i am sick to think this man is now our commander in chief.........makes me wanna move to irland
I was also in the military and....
I am a Vietnam Veteran and I think Obama will be as important as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. I am also a FORMER conservative. The Republicans have been totally wrong for the past 8 years and beyond. Nothing but a bunch of reactionaries who pander to the greedy and the ignorant.
i second that along with
i second that along with everyone i know
Please move to
Please move to Ireland..you're hurting America.
I'll bit that you do not
I'll bit that you do not expect honor nor repect from children or wife! History for us did not start on the day we were born nor do we take our political advice from South Park as you do. We do know Benedit Arnold when we see him a.k.a "joe biden"and W.E.B Dubois jr. a.k.a Barac Obama born of the Kenyen experiment. Maybe if you did know history, you would look up his biological.
You've got to be kidding
I bet you get all your thoughts from Limbaugh and Fox.
In charge
He is not in charge of the people (Monica)
REPLY
YOU MAY WANT TO REVIEW THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA AGAIN
Commander-in-Chief
The Commander-in-chief is only one of the many groups the President is in charge of. However, as a former combat veteran, the Commander- in -Chief had better have a great understanding of the workings and the needs of the American military. Give a soldier a good commanding officer and he will follow him to the gates of Hell and back. This man is NOT the Officer I would follow across the street. He does Not respect the American flag, He does Not stand at attention when the National Anthem is being played, nor does he even face the nations flag during the pledge of allegance. I take it from your comments that you have never served in the military, or if you did, what kind af a warrior were you???? Did Obama ever serve in the military? If so, what was his rank and when and where did he serve????
Charlie B
Combat Engineer
3rd Marine Division FMF Pacific (1852-1960)
Greatest leader?
Gary,
What in the world are you talking about. This man has done nothing but get elected. That doesn't make him a great leader. We'll see what kind of president he turns out to be - hopefully much better than I expect him to be, but let's save that kind of title for someone who has actually done something... anything ... except run for office. Seriously, did you burn some incense in front of your Obama button before you typed your response and then kiss your change poster after?
I've served..
I've served in the military for awhile and yes I'm black. This country is suppose to be a "melting pot". Please understand what that word means before we continue on this path. We enjoy the freedom to express ourselves and not just because the military does it's part but more importantly because of the initial foundation of America. As a service member I take pride in supporting the constitution and serving America. The problem I have with this forum is listening to Americans of all races debate/complain about an elected official's itinerary to the point they lose respect for one another. I believe if it's that bad you should probably look within yourself for flaws before you look outward. I do not like a lot of things the new President's campaign promised but as both an American and a service member I will support him just as I have with the past 4 or 5 Presidents. My final suggestion to each of you is, if you know and believe the word and power of prayer then put that into action. The bible says "a house divided against itself shall fall". Is that what we want?
Inagural Ball NO OBAMA
Gary:
You must not have been in the military or else you would have been offended. If the Vice President and his wife attended there is NO reason that Pres. Obama and the first lady did not show! Even if his staff did not have it scheduled for protection and the evening was getting late, he should have paid his respects and went having his staff make the changes necessary! He made a VERY WRONG CHOICE!
Jackie-MI.
You just gave all the
You just gave all the reasons for not attending ma'am. I am in the military and it's a good thing Secret Service is in charge of his security and not you. Maybe you would like to read in the next day's paper about an attempt on the President's life by some fanatic because a decision was made to.... The VP and his wife were there and the committee did not feel snubbed. They understood the reasons for the decision, why can't you? You and a few others seem to be looking for a reason to complain right now. Stop it already, please. If you don't agree with proposed plans for America by the President then get on the horn and talk to your elected officials. You are wasting time and effort in this venue. Stop hurting America with all this whining and complaining. I've lost Soldiers and friends in a war that we just happened into ma'am. I could care less about a freaking ball, there are real issues out there you and the rest of America should be concerned about. In closing if you who want to continue this belly aching, yes that's including some of my fellow service members who've chosen this venue, then you're part of the problem.
Inagural Ball
Gary,
GET A GRIP!
Incredible leader? If that were a true statement, then why did he just this past year show up on the radar. Most everyone I know, never heard his name.........no matter, even though he has NO military time/experience, etc., 'his people' should have steered him to that ball.
What? What?
Inaugural Ball
Gary,
Hold it!!! Incredible leader?? It has only been 6 days! How does he rate "Incredible leader"? What has he unified so far? How come there were "logistical problems" keeping him from the ball when that didn't seem to be an issue for the past Presidents including Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter!! Fellow Democrats in case you need reminding. I ask again, why is he such an "incredible leader" and what has he unified in just 6 days??
Logistical problems
He had "logistical problems" finding and getting to a ball in DC, but was able to overcome the logistical nightmare of parading himself through several states on his ego trip, the "Whistle Stop Tour"??!!!! Give me a break. Are we stupid here? He clearly doesn't respect our military. End of story.
B.H. Obama
Incredible leader??? Your right, he has led and unified millions of sheep who do not ,and did not, take time to research this man. He is one of the scariest people I have ever seen. To see his hynotic effect on the rapture filled faces of those who went to his inauguration just to be near him is extremely concerning to me. This man has done too many questionable things that prevent me from being motivated to drink his brew. And, any president who gives his first formal interview to an arabic news agency does not have my best intersts at heart. PLEASE, tell me one thing he did that warranted his election.
(Connie)
Gary
Dear Gary,
After reading your post, I can't help but think that you're retarded. I bet you wear women's panties just to get more in touch with your feminine side.
Todd Sorenson
Blind Faith
5 days and your prepared to see the "greatest president."
Gary, you're asking if people are too ignorant. I wonder if you're too enchanted by Inside Hollywood covering the first family that your own judgement will be blinded as you claim ignorance has blinded others.
If you didn't serve, I don't expect you to understand. That, sir, is your own ignorance blinding you to how much of a shame this is.
what incredable leader? he
what incredable leader? he has not done anything yet. He was just a junior senator form Il., before he was manipulated by the information entertainment industry (commanly refered to as the news industry) to this most importent position. I hope they can help him become a succssful president.
Inaugural Ball
Let's face it. This man does not care for anyone but himself. He does not even follow rules that he chides others for. He does not care about you, babies or seniors. He cares only about himself, his power, and wants to rule the world. Since day one, during his presidential run, he may have talked about change, but he never said how he would do it. That's what I wanted to hear...but I never did. And if he had, he knew, he would not get elected. Wake up, folks. Follow his every move or one day you will wake up and say, "What happened!!"
Obama Haters
Too bad you can't seem to get past your hate. He is your President just as Bush was our President. Bush goes down as the least popular of all time. Grow up people and get a life. God bless America. This is not about parties it's about our great Country. Get behind your President and pray for America.
i find it ironic that you
i find it ironic that you demand we grow up and stand behind our President...why? because he's the President? Did you "stand behind " Bush? probably not. yea i didn't think so...don't be a hypocrit
Inaugural ball - reply to Gary
Gary, you are truly a prime example of the problem with this country. 'Incredible leader'? By what accomplishments, might I ask?
Good luck with your sheep mentality, and keep wearing those women's panties so you can stay in touch with your feminine side!
Just wondering.....
Todd, what is you facination with panties and fem side?
Inagural Ball
First off, I am on neither side of this argument just want to state something that should be obvious. He missed the ball it is not the end of the world and for those that think so have proven once again that ignorance is bliss. But for you Gary how can you justify saying that Obama is an increadable leader? In order to be a leader you must first lead. He is so new that nothing has had a chance to take place. I for one am going to sit back see what choices he makes and save my opinions for after he does something regardless if it is good or bad. the point is the press is going to make a story and the American people love drama. applause to the media because once again they have provided it. Now instead of complaining about the president missing a ball why don't some of you go out and show some support yourselves. let me ask you this, when was the last time you shook a veterans hand and said thank you? when did you sit down and ask to hear their story not the one the media makes up but the real thing? when have you visited a wounded soldier in the hospital and told him that his/her sacrifices did not go unoticed? When have you greeted soldiers coming home to see their families for the first time in months or years and show them the respect they deserve? I am active duty and have been for 13 years. i am currently at a remote assignment. so to hear the complaining bothers me as it does most of my brothers and sisters in arms.
Missing the ball is
Missing the ball is incidental. Prioritizing our MOH heros lowly is a real big deal for a man who wants to be a leader. It raises the important question: Just who is he leading and where?
Gary, while I am sure that
Gary,
while I am sure that his social calendar was very busy, this was the ONLY ball that evening honoring the MOH recipients. MAKE THE TIME! It speaks volumes to me about his priorities.
Obama
Incredible leader? Give me a break. I have never seen such a poor excuse for President in my life. I thought that Clinton was the worse but Obama has him beat. Gary, you say give the man a break well I am so sorry to say that too many ignorant people voted him in office and for the life of me I will never undestand why. This country is going down the drain, thanks to Obama and those who voted for him.
Gary, How do you know he is
Gary,
How do you know he is a leader when he has zero experience. He is not he best thing since slice bread. Open your eyes and think for yourself.
Salute to Heros Ball snub
Ken , I think you should do some research and see where this is headed. You seem to think it is wrong not to let the public know what is going on in our world ?
Why not let everyone know about a tradition that has been broken !
Dale
I take it you did not serve since you seem to think it's OK !
Obama snubs Medal of Honor Soldiers
Of course he knew about the ball, and YES it was in DC. He only went to the balls that had celebrities. He does not care about our US Servicemen. What a mistake having this guy in office!!
Salute to Heroes snub
Dear Paul
Please don.t tell you completely missed what was going on that night. Obama;s people should have insisted that he should attend. If it has been going on for 50 yeas and 14 inaugs, I would look at that as a major snub if not a down right " in your face " show of disrespect. I know wounded vets and old grunts don't have the glamour of Hollywood but you can bet your ass that he will be real nice to them if things go to hell in this world of ours. You Sir, need a reality check.
Roy
Come on, he's the President.
Come on, he's the President. He knew about ALL the balls. Just because you don't want to believe that he is inconsiderate, doesn't mean that he isn't. Sorry, but he could have made a few minutes to attend. Big mistake.
Salute to heros Ball
The new president is aware and has 1500 staffers to assist him. He skipped the ball not because he was unaware. Expect more from those in office not less.
Salaute to Heroes Ball snub
Paul, I did a little research the ball was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. He was apparently able to make it to these:
_ Congressional Black Caucus Inaugural Ball at the Capitol Hilton.
_ Creative Coalition Inaugural Ball at the Harman Center for the Arts.
_ Recording Industry Association of America’s ball for Feeding America.
_ BET’s Inaugural Ball at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
_ Africa on the Potomac inaugural celebration at Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
_ American Music Inaugural Ball at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.
_ Inaugural Purple Ball at the Fairmont Hotel.
_ Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Ball at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel.
_ Inaugural Peace Ball at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
_ Impact Film Fund ball.
Heros Ball
To each of you,
I went to the Salute our Heros Ball that evening. It was a total priviledge to be in the presence of such dedicated people. Obama did not appear and Biden did. It was a great mistake and even more so when you see the Balls/Events he did attend. This country was built on our service people giving the greatest gift possible, their life, for us to live in democracy. There is no event that can precede this type of recognition, period. And to those that could never give of yourself as our service people in the past have done and presently do, you should give thanks for what your have. Freedom is NOT free!
With Obama having such a visual role, there is high scrunity to all his actions and he has a staff that attends to such details. As to Obama attending 10 other "ARTSY" Balls focusing on African Americans, it's pathetic for the lack of attention he/staff gave to this unless it was ever so intentional. If that is the case, that speaks volumes! There is no excuse, none. Graciousness from the American Legion, so appreciated, but there is no excuse I will accept to Obama not attending the Heroes Ball. Maybe if there was a Ball recognizing the Tuskegee Airmen he would have attended. I call it as I see it. Please know, I am grateful for the Airmen as well.
We are all desiring changes to better this country. Living in our great country we accept the choice of our voters. Whether their votes were based on party, research, or a man's skin we still have our result. I ask all of the Obama supporters to not live so carelessly, get your heads out of the clouds and stop dreaming. Take an active role and start reading, educating yourselves and be bias to really review. There are signs - red flags. I hope my thoughts will be proven wrong over time. I do find a weakness within Obama, a great talker, but I question, what powerful force is truly is behind him, pulling the strings?
We all have a voice, please use it responsibly. When one purchases a new home, car or choses your career, there is much research and dedication to that. We all have a responsibility to participate in our country, our communities and should with such dedication as well. We owe that to one another. I value each of you and Obama. But earning my respect and trust comes from character. I am having difficulty see his.
To Joan from TX
Wow, Joan very well said. I couldn't agree more!
Ball
Um, did you read where the ball has been in existence since 1953. No way he didn't know.
Salute to Heroes Ball Snub
Ken,
All you folks need to guit making excuses for Obama. Judge him by what he does, not what he promises and talks about.
Bob
He is going to need prayers
He is going to need prayers as does the rest of the country. It breaks my heart that one of his first orders of business was lifting the ban on federal funds for abortion.
This ball was literally 2
This ball was literally 2 blocks from 6 of the 10 balls he attended. The other 4 were about a mile or so away in different directions from this cluster. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100981426999943065898.00046164f263c3cd5a844&ll=38.901804,-77.021627&spn=0.011973,0.019226&z=16
Amazing how many people post
Amazing how many people post on this story, citing bogus websites to support their opinion. Those websites have no credibility, and neither does this site. There are countless people out there who can make a website like this one, and like all the websites that you people quote. you're all arguing over somebody's made up story!!! learn to think and not take what you see for granted. That goes for both sides!
Salute To Heroes Ball Snub
It must be George W Bush's fault! Everything else is.
Salute to Heroes Ball snub
Well Paul,
For your information I'm in the Military and have been for 20 years. It is completely unacceptable for our Commander and Chief, the President of the United States to fore go a commitment like that. It was and is his duty to attend every important ball in the DC area that evening, and for your information every one of those balls were in the DC area. The first and the most important ball he should have attended that evening should have been the Heroes Ball. Every one of the balls was important, but you’re telling me that rubbing elbows with some actors and actresses is more important then recognizing are true heroes, let alone the ones that paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for this great country. Both you and him along with many other people around this country seam to have forgotten that. That’s the truth, not a lie! Donny