Obama's Military Greeting in Iraq was Staged: Troops Were Screened for Obama Voters

You may remember this greeting (or lack thereof) Obama received when he gave his speech on Iraq at Camp Lejeune:



And you may remember that we contrasted that greeting with this greeting the troops gave George Bush when he made a surprise visit to Iraq:



Obviously an embarrassing contrast for the President. So the White House decided it was going to "stage" its own surprise visit to Iraq. Here's how the mainstream press reported it:

Cheered wildly by U.S. troops, President Barack Obama flew unannounced into Iraq on Tuesday and promptly declared it was time for Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country" after America's commitment of six years and thousands of lives.

Obama wore a business suit as he descended the steps of his plane after a flight from Turkey. He shook hands with Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in the country, then stepped into an SUV for a brief ride to Camp Victory, the main American military base in Iraq.

Under gray skies, the motorcade rolled past troops standing at attention. "It was wonderful to see the troops out there," Obama said. "I'm so grateful, they put their heart and souls into it."

Inside a marble palace, he was interrupted repeatedly with cheers from the troops.

"I love you," someone in the crowd shouted out. I love you back," the commander in chief replied. Scores of troops held digital cameras above their heads, snapping pictures and recording video of a day they would long remember.

What a startling change in attitude. From zero to hero. But not so fast. If you're wondering how the man who consistently opposed our troops in Iraq and their mission could be greeted so heartily, you're not the only one. Shenanigans. And lots of them. Macsmind reveals an email from an Army sergeant who was in Iraq when Obama arrived.

“We were pre-screened, asked by officials “Who voted for Obama?”, and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.”

Take a look at the picture at AP and notice all the cameras are the same models? Coincidence? I think not.

Here's the AP picture that soldier is referring to:



UPDATE: Yes. The cameras. I blew up some of the cameras (I could have done many more, but I grew tired). Note the cameras are all the same.






In addition, the above picture and the enthusiasm it suggests, simply doesn't jive with Obama's earlier greeting by the marines and the military poll numbers during the election campaign.

Sen. John McCain enjoys overwhelming support from the military’s professional core, a Military Times survey of nearly 4,300 readers, indicates, though career-oriented black service members strongly favored the Democratic Party candidate.

McCain, R-Ariz., handily defeated Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 68 percent to 23 percent in a voluntary survey of 4,293 active-duty, National Guard and reserve subscribers and former subscribers to Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times.

More...

When asked how they feel about President-elect Barack Obama as commander in chief, six out of 10 active-duty service members say they are uncertain or pessimistic, according to a Military Times survey.

In follow-up interviews, respondents expressed concerns about Obama's lack of military service and experience leading men and women in uniform.

Underlying much of the uncertainty is Obama's stated 16-month timetable for pulling combat troops out of Iraq, as well as his calls to end the ''don't ask, don't tell" policy to allow gays to serve openly in the military, according to survey responses and interviews.

The most obvious evidence of the White House's manipulation of the crowd that greeted Obama during his surprise visit are the photos themselves. Look at the picture above. How many African-Americans do you see in that photo? African-Americans make up roughly 12-14% of soldiers serving in the U.S. Army. Does that photo seem representative of that number to you?

This screening is shameful on so many levels. As if our troops on the whole would put their support behind a man who spit in their faces as part of their campaign. As if they would throw their support behind a man who, to this day, cannot acknowledge victory in Iraq. What's next? Are we going to see Obama receiving wild greetings on Wall Street?