-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Forget about the IRS, AP, and Benghazi. They all pale in significance to 
Umbrella-Gate. President Obama asked White House Marine guards to hold umbrellas for the President and the Turkish Prime Minister during an outdoor press conference. Male Marines are not allowed to use umbrellas while in uniform, except when they are “perform[ing] such other duties as the President may direct“. Female Marines are allowed to use umbrellas. Sarah Palin tweeted: “Mr. President, when it rains it pours, but most Americans hold their own umbrellas.”
Oooo. A tempest in a teapot. At least everyone’s got umbrellas.
Considering the AP story, the Gitmo issue, the kill list issue, the aiding and abetting treason after the fact issue, this is a non-story.
Bron,
The President of the US outranks the Commandant of the USMC. He is the Commander in Chief. This is a non-story. The purpose of the Marine guards are to both protect and render assistance to the CiC as needed. Having said that, it would have been better if one of the President’s aides held the umbrella because it would have looked better for the press. On the whole, however, this story is another made up flap.
You know it is a slow news day when a story like this makes headlines.
“The relevant portion of the regulation reads, “3035. UMBRELLAS (Female Marines). Female Marines may carry an all-black, plain standard or collapsible umbrella at their option during inclement weather with the service and dress uniforms. It will be carried in the left hand so that the hand salute can be properly rendered. Umbrellas may not be used/carried in formation nor will they be carried with the utility uniform.”
Items not expressly delineated as authorized components of the Marine Corps uniform are prohibited. Male Marines are informed never to carry an umbrella from the earliest phases of training.
Not even the President of the United States can request a Marine to carry an umbrella without the express consent of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, according to the Marine Corps Manual.
The Marine Corps Manual, the guidebook that defines protocol for officers and enlisted Marines, in section 2806 paragraph 2, specifically states: “The Marine Corps Uniform Regulations, published by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, shall be binding on all Marines. No officer or official shall issue instructions which conflict with, alter, or amend any provision without the approval of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.”
Did the President have the consent of the Commandant? If not, he is in violation. He should have had one of the Whitehouse staff hold that umbrella. Although maybe that Marine was a democrat but based on a recent study men with physical strength tend to be conservative and men without physical strength tend to be liberal. So chances are a Marine is probably conservative.
You’re wrong, like you are on most everything you post. The Honor Guard as an entirely separate code. And, again, it’s not part of the Marine’s uniform. Educate yourself. Or, like me, you can be a veteran and actually know something about the topic.
Um Juliet, they are clearly not in Turkey, but the Rose Garden.
Why not just hold an event like this in the East Room or something formal and large enough to accommodate the crowd?
Why would you bring up Valerie Jarrett? She is a senior adviser to the President of the United States, not a meteorologist.
The President should be taking umbrella decorum from this guy:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1VXgp72xZVg/TmoCdAtIvXI/AAAAAAAAAKk/_tsb2h-eBpg/s640/snoop-dogg-umbrella.jpg
leej, I, like Dredd, find this umbrella a “gnat” issue. However, I am always aware of the total picture. When I first started doing surveillance, it was still photos. They were not nearly as fair as video. If you watch the video of the news conference, which I did, the vast majority of the time the 2 politicians were under the umbrella w/ the Marines having their arms outstretched perpindicular to their torso, and not covered.
Juliet, Chill out, woman. In no way did I say I was outraged about the umbrella, because I am not. I merely said it was a bad visual. I get the sense there is no “bad visual” involving our president for you. I accept that. My outrage is for the substantive issue of the IRS. However, I would never tell people to STFU if they disagree. But, that’s entirely your call. To each their own.
Just because my post appeared under yours,doesn’t mean I was addressing you. Lighten up, Francis.
And, actually, I’m a Progressive. This President doesn’t appeal to me, at all. I’m simply tired of the vitriol directed at him because of stupid sh*t, you know, like his skin color. Republicans ought be licking his shoes, since he’s really one of them in ideology.
Gives new meaning to “straining out a gnat, but swallowing a camel” it would seem:
(Yahoo Answers).
So, where’s the
beefcamel?And in the picture it appears the marine is also benefitting from holding the umbrella. Look at it another way: the president made the request so the marine could have an umbrella over him
This is about as hochmut as it gets.
Btw, they were in TURKEY, not the Rose Garden. Please stop being dumb.
The Marine is part of the honor guard. It’s his job to hold the President’s umbrella. The umbrella belongs to the President. It is part of at Marine’s duty assignment, not his uniform. This is a manufactured outrage, by people who don’t know what the f** they’re talking about.
Seriously, he’s the Commander-in-Chief. STFU.
� Michael Blott,D.C.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” ����������������� -Martin Luther King Jr.�
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When I saw the Marines holding the umbrellas I just said to myself, “That’s a very bad visual,” dripping w/ irony.
Frankly, It is still early, but by any objective standard the IRS is a scandal. Spinning will not make that one vanish.
Having a marine hold an umbrella is less of an issue than Bush sending marines to their death over WMDs. These things really need some perspective…..
Joseph Kennedy held an umbrella over Prime Minister Chamberlain’s head prior to WWII when Kennedy was a keen appeaser to Adolph Hitler as was Chamberlain. The Kennedy Family and its Foundations have done everything possible to have us forget the first Kennedy of The First Family. John, Bobby and Teddy boy were “scions” of the bootlegger and appeaser.
If Joseph Kennedy had his way the offspring of Hitler would be running Germany and Europe if not the World. So, the image of holding an umbrella over the head of some Head of State has its history. Joe Kennedy was often referred to as the guy who held Chamberlain’s umbrella.
I have never heard that a Marine could not hold an umbrella. But how can one get to the rifle when one is encumbered with umbrella duties?
Why doesn’t the Rose Garden have a canopy to protect speakers? Seems this was a case of poor planning by the White House staff. And if a canopy wasn’t feasible, someone on staff could easily have readied staff members to hold umbrellas rather than rely on Marines. Didn’t the weather forecast in D.C. call for the possibility of rain?
What was Valerie Jarrett doing? Surely she should have been on top of this.
That’s a really strange look on Obama’s face in the photo. May showers bring glowers.
Palin is not even under that umbrella in the photo here. Who’s to say she even asked for the umbrella?
I smell desperation. Those poor dumb busterds have tried to jin up a scandal for 4 years now & every one of them has fallen apart.
It’s chivalry Sarah….. When it happens to you…. I wouldn’t suspect it’s because he is the president and at least deserves some respect….. This partisianshit needs to stop….. Who will be the first to do so….
Is ‘using’ an umbrella also ‘carrying’ an umbrella?