I know most American trivialize Memorial Day and it's known mostly for backyard cookouts, pool openings, etc but here's an interesting spin from the Brits. One take away for me was it's his 70th round in 28 months, the other was that his advisors failed to warn him such a move could be considered disrespectful.

Quote:Barack Obama's decision to play golf on Memorial Day was disrespectful and hardly presidential


Can you imagine David Cameron enjoying a round of golf on Remembrance Sunday? It would be inconceivable for the British Prime Minister to do so, and not just because of the usually dire weather at that time of the year. Above all, it would be viewed as an act of extremely bad taste on a day when the nation remembers and mourns her war dead. I can’t imagine the PM even considering it, and I’m sure his advisers would be horrified at the idea. And if the prime minister ever did play golf on such a sacrosanct day he would be given a massive drubbing by the British press, and it would never be repeated.

Contrast this with President Obama’s decision to play golf yesterday, Memorial Day, for the 70th time during his 28-month long presidency. For tens of millions of Americans, Memorial Day is a time for remembrance of the huge sacrifices made by servicemen and women on the battlefield. The president did pay his respects in the morning, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, but later in the day traveled to Fort Belvoir to play golf. The story has not been reported so far in a single US newspaper, but was made public by veteran White House correspondent Keith Koffler on his blog. Here’s Koffler’s report:

The business of memorializing our war dead done, President Obama headed out to the Fort Belvoir golf course today, finding his way onto the links for the ninth weekend in a row.

Obama earlier today laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and met with families of those killed in battle. But he emerged from the day’s solemnity to go golfing for the 12th time this year and the 70th time of his presidency.

The decision to golf on Memorial Day invites comparison with President George W. Bush, who gave up the game early in his presidency and said he did it out of respect for the families of those killed in Iraq.

Does it matter if the president chooses to play golf on Memorial Day, and for the second time in his presidency (he did so as well in 2009)? I think it does, and it displays extraordinarily bad judgment, not only by Obama himself but also by his advisers. His chief of staff for example should have firmly cautioned against it. President Obama is not just any American but Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces. The United States is currently engaged in a major war in Afghanistan with over 100,000 troops on the ground, and more than 1,500 have already laid down their lives for their country.

The least the president can do on Memorial Day is spend the whole day with veterans and servicemen’s families while acknowledging their sacrifice. As Koffler points out above, President George W. Bush stopped playing golf out of respect for the families of Iraq War dead. This demonstrated not only good judgment but humility and respect for the men and women who keep America safe. It is little wonder that, as Gallup reveals in a new poll, US military personnel and veterans give Barack Obama lower marks for his job performance than members of the general public. The president’s actions smack of poor taste, as well a lack of empathy and support for the US military, hardly the kind of leadership the White House should be projecting at a time of war.

BO Playing Golf Dispectful

Good find, Crew, and not really all too surprising that his national liberal media somehow managed to, um, not notice or report it.

His initials ain't B.O for nuthin'...

he wont get a single mention from the libby liberal media, Bush was BBQed for golfing, Michael Moore devoted about 10 minutes in his movie about Bush's golfing

I played golf yesterday--with a vet as a matter of fact. A bunch of soldiers were on the golf course.

I think cooking out and enjoying a leisure activity is a way to honour our fallen soldiers that fought to give us this freedom.

that's just my take.

Exactly what I would expect of Obama. And in other news,

TEEN GANGS UNLEASHED ON BOSTON BEACH
UPDATE: MIAMI 'WAR ZONE' DURING URBAN WEEKEND...
'I was scared for my life'...
Poet 'Da Real One' Gunned Down In Front Of Miami Poetry Cafe...
Violent crime explodes in Myrtle during Black Bike Week; 8-hour hell...
Rib Fest At Rochester beach turns rowdy...
Riot On Long Island...
Urban Melee In Charlotte...
Chaos causes DNC concern for convention...
Unruly urban crowd shuts down Nashville water park...
Emanuel shuts down packed Chicago beach; 'heat-related illnesses'...

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Evidently the telegraph has been tracking the Golf Game and it appears to show some media bias:

Quote:Mr Bush was shown in the Michael Moore film Fahrenheit 9/11 condemning "terrorist killers" in the Middle East when asked a question on the golf course in 2002. Barely pausing for breath, he added: "Thank you. Now watch this drive."

Mr Bush later gave up golf, saying in a 2008 interview: "I don't want to some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf... And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

The golfing figures were compiled by Mark Knoller of CBS Radio, the unofficial White House statistician.

Mr Obama's Sunday golf game prompted anger in Poland, where the Warsaw Business Post carried a headline reading: "Obama goes golfing instead of attending Kaczynskis' funeral".

Earlier Telegraph Article

Quote: President Barack Obama has only been in office for just over nine months, but he's already hit the links as much as President Bush did in over two years.


CBS' Mark Knoller — an unofficial documentarian and statistician of all things White House-related — wrote on his Twitter feed that, "Today - Obama ties Pres. Bush in the number of rounds of golf played in office: 24.

Took Bush 2 yrs & 10 months."


This news comes on the heels of today's news that Obama played golf with a woman — chief domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes — for the first time since taking office.

Politico Article

I actually saw the president yesterday -- Mrs. QSECOFR and I were at Arlington National Cemetary. If he played golf afterwards, I don't think it is that big of a deal.

BTW, I waved at him, but he didn't wave back. I was ready to tell him that his actions have made Jimmy Carter the happiest man on the planet. Never got the chance.

Q, I dont care either, he could golf everyday until his hearts content, the whole golf thing is crazy, its the demonizing of Bush that gets me, they torched Bush it and they let their guy have a free walk in the park, thats my beef

I'm on the same wave length as Q and Ice... it's like umpiring baseball... if you call a low strike on me, call it on the other guy. Time and again there is evidence of media bias and I think everyone should be pissed about it... Journalists (not commentators or Entertainers) are supposed to call the low strike (pick your analogy) for both teams.

Icehole, you have a beef with everything. You guys piss and moan about something every day. baaaaaaaaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaaaa. Bush put Obama in the White House. Stop whining.

(05-31-2011 04:17 PM)Crewdogz Wrote:  I'm on the same wave length as Q and Ice... it's like umpiring baseball... if you call a low strike on me, call it on the other guy. Time and again there is evidence of media bias and I think everyone should be pissed about it... Journalists (not commentators or Entertainers) are supposed to call the low strike (pick your analogy) for both teams.

was it the journalist that bashed bush for playing golf or the commentators/entertainers ie. mike moore.

you should take you own advice and call the low strike.

when the right say crazy stuff you guys are quick to make the distinction between opinions shows and news shows. when a person on the left says something crazy, it's credited to the "media" in general.

(05-31-2011 04:43 PM)b Wrote:  

(05-31-2011 04:17 PM)Crewdogz Wrote:  I'm on the same wave length as Q and Ice... it's like umpiring baseball... if you call a low strike on me, call it on the other guy. Time and again there is evidence of media bias and I think everyone should be pissed about it... Journalists (not commentators or Entertainers) are supposed to call the low strike (pick your analogy) for both teams.

was it the journalist that bashed bush for playing golf or the commentators/entertainers ie. mike moore.

you should take you own advice and call the low strike.

when the right say crazy stuff you guys are quick to make the distinction between opinions shows and news shows. when a person on the left says something crazy, it's credited to the "media" in general.

Michael Moore is a left wing shock jock. He uses the big screen because that is the outlet available to him.

(05-31-2011 04:28 PM)beck Wrote:  Icehole, you have a beef with everything. You guys piss and moan about something every day. baaaaaaaaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaaaa. Bush put Obama in the White House. Stop whining.

And you take the bait and respond! At least you keep talking, most liberals i know get all hissy and give you the silent treatment after they lose a debate.

(05-31-2011 04:43 PM)b Wrote:  

(05-31-2011 04:17 PM)Crewdogz Wrote:  I'm on the same wave length as Q and Ice... it's like umpiring baseball... if you call a low strike on me, call it on the other guy. Time and again there is evidence of media bias and I think everyone should be pissed about it... Journalists (not commentators or Entertainers) are supposed to call the low strike (pick your analogy) for both teams.

was it the journalist that bashed bush for playing golf or the commentators/entertainers ie. mike moore.

you should take you own advice and call the low strike.

when the right say crazy stuff you guys are quick to make the distinction between opinions shows and news shows. when a person on the left says something crazy, it's credited to the "media" in general.

I did call the low strike. I also believe if you do something criminal or against the rules while holding public office you should be appropriately punished regardless of party affiliation. EDIT: which is another way we seldom call the low strike in politics.