It is being called “Semper Latte” and, if this is the biggest scandal that President Barack Obama has to worry about, his Administration is safe. Various people are denouncing the President for saluting his Marine guard while holding a cup of tea or coffee. From CNN to the Daily Mail to ABC to the New York Daily News to the Washington Post to the New York Post to NBC to CBS to countless others, the salute is generating heated comments across the country. YouTube clips show the salute over and over along with multiple postings expressing outrage. My reaction is a bit different. The President has launched another declared war that his aides say could last “years.” However, there seem more debate over this tempest in a tea [cup] than the fact that we are bombing another nation.
The President did not put his styrofoam cup in his other hand while stepping out of Marine One — a breach of military regulations and decorum. He appears to have forgotten the salute as he multitasked with his cup while buttoning his jacket.
What truly amazes me is that the White House released the photo. No one saw the problem and actually viewed the picture as worthy of sending out on the web.
However, it is the relative attention given the issue that is mystifying. Many irate people over the salute are less aggrieved by the war just commenced on the sole authority of this President. Just as there is an appropriate way to salute a Marine, there is an appropriate way to send a Marine to war. The Constitution is quite clear about starting wars and there is far more at stake. We should be at least as aggrieved when our Constitution is being disrespected or ignored as we are the Marine guard this week. Just a thought.
anon, actually it’s been ongoing. It’s just a bit more obvious today.
And what Mike Appleton said.
AY and Annie,
Oh, brother… (or perhaps I should say, Oh, mama…) It reminds me of something that happened many months ago… and has a similar ring to it.
Thank you Darren.
Annie,
It may not last long…..
Annie,
You just needed to take 5 minutes and you would find out what the Oathkeepers founder was doing in the Bush years (if you were really interested):
“My oath was not “I will support and defend the Republican Party.” Nor was it “I will support and defend the Constitution by voting for the lesser of two evil oath breakers who both violate it.” My oath was to defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic, and of whatever party. I am an American first, not a Republican first. Political parties are like a cancer that is now killing the host. Republicans, with all too few exceptions, are loyal to party first, not country first, and certainly not the Constitution first, just as Democrats, with few exception, are loyal to their party first, before their country.” Stewart Rhoades, Founder of Oathkeepers 2012
“However, if you want to see what prompted me to finally launch Oath Keepers, there are several posts on this blog that show my thinking (in addition to my writings for SWAT Magazine).
Back in 2006 I wrote several scathing criticisms of the Bush Administration’s absurd and dangerous claims of nearly unlimited executive “war” powers. Those articles built on my research at Yale Law School (where I won the Miller Prize for best paper on the Bill of Rights).
One of the most common refrains I get from Obama supporters is “where were you when Bush was violating the Constitution.” Well, I was right here. Read this:”
http://stewart-rhodes.blogspot.com/2006/11/clinton-era-proposal-to-use-military.html
Ross: “Contrary to popular belief, Congress and state legislatures can pass “illegal” laws – laws that violate the U.S. Constitution.”
Of course. But there is no clear case that the President’s international counter-terror authority and various war authority have been unConstitutional.
Professor Turley’s argument rests on the claim that Congress has passively relinquished its check/balance war authorization role viz President Obama’s anti-ISIS strikes. However, it’s not clear that the anti-ISIS strikes, as they stand, require a Congressional war authorization in addition to the President’s standing international counter-terror authority.
That’s not to say Congress can’t or shouldn’t debate the anti-ISIS strikes, or that Obama can’t or shouldn’t make his case for them to Congress, but passing a new war authorization for them is not a legal necessity as they stand.
Eric – my guess would be that the President has 90 days under the War Powers Act and then has to go to Congress. That should get him past the elections. However, since they are not calling it a war damned if I know what power he is using.
And yes they are ALL silly.
Another sweeping eye-of-the-beholder statement? Yes.
The “ALL” is your observation, Annie. It doesn’t match mine. Nor does the impression that the criticism being published is “unserious” (defined as “lighthearted”).
Body language matters. It conveys intent and attitude as clearly as words.
AY, you’re on the right track.
Amazing how creative some are with creating names…..
Most reasonable people recognize that when unserious criticisms of one President are published, there will be a slew of people who will publish silly criticisms of a different President for comparison. It comes with the territory. And yes they are ALL silly.
Mama, Whatever contributions you make are welcomed. You are a pensive person who can read people as good as anyone I encountered on the internet. You are the kind of person I would have hired as a PI. You picked out a mean crazy person before ANYONE else. A jackal in sheep’s clothing that your skills smelled instantly. I an all were fooled until you showed us the way. I’ll never forget that.
cc: Chairman Joint Chief, Joint Chiefs, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, every service member, every recruit in basic training learning military rules, regulations, customs, traditions and culture and every DI training aforementioned recruits.
“Mike Appleton
The President’s salute is not indicative of anything other than to those with small lives and even smaller minds. This entire conversation is demeaning and absurd.”
Paul, Don Knotts played the befuddled shrink.
Well, that’s too bad Olly. I and many other Americans might not see them in the negative light that we do, if they HAD formed under the Bush Administration.
“why wasn’t the group, “Oath Keepers” formed during the 8 long years of the Bush Administration?”
Speaking for myself, I was ignorant of the proper role of government. I had never read any of our founding documents until 2008. Once I began to study and learn the “first principles” then I was able to see how far removed from “constitutional” governance we had come. Obama is just carrying on the tradition but what he’s doing differently is openly daring anyone to do something about it.
I actually appreciate his arrogance and disdain for our founding principles. He has done more to snap the apathetic awake long enough to begin learning what American Exceptionalism is really all about. I just regret I didn’t begin learning this long ago. I can forgive people’s ignorance up to the point they choose party over principle. Then they deserve all the vitriol they get.
Olly – oddly enough the F-35 was not put into operation during the Bush administration. Wonder why?
MamaM is someone I have gotten to know over several years. She is very observant and wise. A great addition to this blog, I hope she stays. Mama is a real philosopher and has shown great abilities to analyze people. She showed her skills here immediately.
http://youtu.be/SeJmmQ5y9eQ
Oh looky here is another Bush salute. He is the epitome of a respectful serious President.
“I posted another picture of Bush with is eyes CLOSED at the TMZ link. Weak sauce again….Do people really truly believe this silly crap? ”
BLINK 1.2.3.4 blink 1.2.3.4 blink. It happens every 4 seconds. Blink again, Annie, if you must, in astonishment over the silly crap people believe and the assininity/asininity of some closed eye observations.
Obama didn’t show, convey or return respect. Bush did, even with his eyes CLOSED!
Eric, Give up man. The libs as typical point to what they view as bad behavior to justify their sides own bad behavior. It’s quite tiresome. The best thing to do is to just say, “Yes, President Obama showed the utmost respect he could by saluting with a cup in his hand, he is awesome and I love him no matter what.”