Obama Embraces Tearful Veteran

[jefferson_dem]

Obama Embraces Tearful Veteran
By NEDRA PICKLER – 3 hours ago

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa voter who at first was teased by Democrat Barack Obama ended up in a tearful embrace with the Illinois senator and presidential candidate during a campaign stop Wednesday.

Retired Air Force veteran Andrew Hampton grew emotional when he rose to ask Obama what he would do to ensure that others leaving the military get the health benefits they were promised.

Obama called on Hampton during a question-and-answer session at the first stop in his final slog through Iowa before the Jan. 3 caucuses. He said he felt bad about the impression he might leave calling on Hampton because he was wearing an Obama T-shirt, so he urged him to "make it a tough question." The crowd chuckled but soon grew quiet as it became obvious that Hampton was having a hard time speaking without breaking down.

"I feel strongly about my question," Hampton said as he paused to compose himself. He said he joined the Air Force on active duty in 1956 and was promised health benefits. He retired in 1988 and didn't get coverage because of "political decisions." He said eventually he got what he was owed.

"For that I'm very grateful because I stand before you alive today because of the surgery on my heart and a pacemaker, which you paid for and I want to thank the public," he said to other voters gathered in a high school gymnasium. "But there are other veterans who have been denied health care."

He said he was especially worried about the veterans currently returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with terrible injuries, and left to the whims of a Congress that "plays hollow politics" by deciding how much health care they receive.

"We can't desert them," a weepy Hampton told Obama. The crowd responded with a standing ovation, and Obama walked over and hugged him.

"You made the essential point, which is you earned your benefits," Obama said. He said if elected president, he would take care of veterans as a way of encouraging future generations to enter the military, as well as provide mental health screening and adopt a "zero tolerance" policy for homeless veterans.

"We have to fund all the services that have been promised to our veterans," Obama said. "We can't play politics with it."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iOnPlndkdSy2DQAZAsXf4ERPfPJgD8TPGEU80

[TwilightGardener]

1. Aw. Nice moment. And yes, the military did go back on its healthcare

promises for retirees.

[K Gardner]

2. Now.... THAT is a picture worth a thousand words, beautiful :-)

[MinneapolisMatt]

3. What a great picture.

Beautiful.

[AtomicKitten]

4. Wow, that's a powerful picture.

I wholeheartedly agree that America has shamefully sh*t on our veterans, and I believe Barack Obama as president will remedy that.

[sandnsea]

5. You can't script that n/t

[Beausoir]

17. Uh, yes you can. It's been done over and over and over again.

Every politician wants the "Hug a vet" moment.

[sandnsea]

20. Not the hug, geesh

The sincerity of the vet, the respect of the crowd, the spontaneous connection. The whole thing. Criminy.

Go stalk some other candidate for a while.

[Beausoir]

22. So now I'm a stalker? Here's a hint: This is an internet message board.

People express opinions. Just because you don't agree with mine doesn't make me a stalker.

That kind of infantile name calling is ridiculous.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

6. NEDRA, NEDRA, NEDRA

TEASED IS NOT THE DESCRIPTOR IN THIS CASE.

UN FORTUNATELY YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN SCHILL SO I GUESS YOU REALLY DON'T CARE

An Iowa voter who at first was TEASED by Democrat Barack Obama ended up in a tearful embrace with the Illinois senator and presidential candidate during a campaign stop Wednesday.

EMAIL COMPLAINTS TO HER,AS SHE IS ALWAYS SLANTED

HER EMEIL IS [e-mail]

[MidwestTransplant]

8. I was waiting to read the teased part too. Couldn't figure what the author was talking about.

[maximusveritas]

10. I noticed that too

She couldn't bear to write a positive article about him. Had to put in that little negative shot.
I'd email her, but after all the crap she's pulled against Democrats, she'll take it as a compliment.

[babylonsister]

7. Wet blanket here? I saw Obama hugging this man, but I thought

there were people swarming around Sen. Obama. :shrug: I think this could be a better camera than I have? And that's not so hard to do!

[Beausoir]

14. ALL politicans do this. Every single one. Hug a vet...get the photo. Wins hearts and minds.

Obama is hardly the first politician to "score the gold" with this photo op.

They ALL do it. Every day.

Every single one of them.

[babylonsister]

21. I realize that.

I'm just enjoying the good pic. K?

[dkf]

9. Wow I'm really touched.

This is a man I could follow.

[Beausoir]

11. Another politician hugging a wounded vet.

How...novel.

[TwilightGardener]

12. Should he have taunted him? Ignored him? Kicked him in the junk?

Obama responded genuinely and appropriately to the man's emotional plea.

[Beausoir]

13. He's only a professional politican. He does what ALL politicians do. Hug A Vet.

Jeebus. Taunting and kicking. How overwrought.

[TwilightGardener]

15. LOL! Again, what SHOULD he have done? You seem to think this was either

calculated or contrived.

[Beausoir]

16. He did what he was programmed to do. He got the shot. Hug the vet...get the shot.

They ALL do this.
You are taking it much too seriously.

How many politicians do you suppose have hugged a wounded veteran this week?

It's solid gold in terms of swaying voters.

To pretend that this politician is in someway breaking new ground by photo-opping with a wounded vet is ridiculous.

Once the cameras are off....that man will go back to being forgotten.

But Obama hugging him makes everyone else FEEL good. And that's what counts!

[ellisonz]

19. You know...

I don't think you read the article because the guy wasn't actually wounded in combat, so the whole "hug a wounded veteran" rant comes off as trolling of the worst sort.

He said he joined the Air Force on active duty in 1956 and was promised health benefits. He retired in 1988 and didn't get coverage because of "political decisions." He said eventually he got what he was owed.

"For that I'm very grateful because I stand before you alive today because of the surgery on my heart and a pacemaker, which you paid for and I want to thank the public," he said to other voters gathered in a high school gymnasium. "But there are other veterans who have been denied health care."

What was he supposed to do, just let the man weep through his question. Barack Obama just showed he's a real human being. It was not a photo op.

[calteacherguy]

18. I think it says a lot that such a man supports Obama. nt