I just got an email about Senator Obama's recent trip to Afghanistan and I'd like to share it with you guys. The alleged author of the email is a CPT Jeffery S. Porter. According to Cpt. Porter, Obama blew off the troops there and didn't take the time to thank any of them for their service.
The text of the email is below the fold.
Hello everyone,
As you know I am not a very political person. I just
wanted to pass along that Senator Obama came to Bagram Afghanistan for about an
hour on his visit to 'The War Zone'. I wanted to share with you what happened. He
got off the plane and got into a bullet proof vehicle, got to the area to meet with the
Major General (2 Star) who is the commander here at Bagram.
As the Soldiers where lined up to shake his hand he blew
them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet
the General. As he finished, the vehicles took him to the Clam Shell(pretty much a big
top tent that military personnel can play basketball or work out in with weights) so he
could take his publicity pictures playing basketball. He again shunned the opportunity
to talk to Soldiers to thank them for their service.
So really he was just here to make a showing for the American's back home
that he is their candidate for President. I think that if you are going to make an effort
to come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the freedom
that they are providing for you.
I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas
Cowboy Cheer leaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President
of the United States. I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our
Commander-and-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that
provide the freedom for him and our great country.
If this is blunt and to the point, I am sorry but I wanted you all to know what
kind of caliber of person he really is. What you see in the news is all fake.
In service,
CPT Jeffrey S. Porter
Battle Captain
TF Wasatch
American Soldier
What I want to know is, does any one have any differing reports than this? Have any of you gotten this email? I'd like to verify (or discredit) the info contained within so that I can formulate the proper response. What do you guys think?
Update: The point of this was not to express my "concern" but rather to put this smear out as quickly as possible. I immediately sent this to Fight the Smears and then got to Googling. It looks like Snopes.com is also looking into this and I look forward to reading what they find. Thanks to everyone who did all the digging and debunking.
Update 2: Thanks to Don MacDonald in the comments who points me to this:
By James Gordon Meek
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Thursday, July 24th 2008, 6:40 PM
WASHINGTON - The latest chain e-mail smear against Barack Obama: He "blew off" troops at an Afghan base to shoot hoops for a publicity photo.
The letter was apparently written by a Utah Army National Guard intelligence officer in a linguist unit at Bagram Airfield who claimed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was rude to G.I.s.
"As the soldiers where [sic] lined up to shake his hand he blew them off," wrote the Task Force Wasatch "battle captain."
But angry Army brass debunked the Obama-bashing soldier's allegations, which went viral Thursday over the Web and on military blogs such as Blackfive.
The e-mail claims Obama repeatedly shunned soldiers on his way to the Clamshell - a recreation tent - to "take his publicity pictures playing basketball."
"These comments are inappropriate and factually incorrect," said Bagram spokesman Army Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, who added that such political commentary is barred for uniformed personnel.
Obama didn't play basketball at Bagram or visit the Clamshell, he said. Home-state troops were invited to meet him, but his arrival was kept secret for security reasons.
"We were a bit delayed ... as he took time to shake hands, speak to troops and pose for photographs," Nielson-Green said.
E-mails to the officer who made the charges and a call to his wife were not returned.