Republicans Make a Circus Out of WWII's Vets' Trip to War Memorial

[DonViejo]

Leave No Man Behind!

House Republicans climb the World War II Memorial’s barricades for a photo op.

By David Weigel

Eugene Morgan is a veteran of World War II, a Marine, age 96—and for 20-odd minutes, he’s the most photographed man in downtown Washington. Morgan’s misfortune was to arrive in the city on the second day of the 2013 government shutdown. His trip, organized by his 50-year-old son Jeff, couldn’t really be rescheduled. So father and son showed up around 10 a.m. to visit the World War II Memorial.

They ran smack into a delegation from Congress. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Texas Rep. John Carter were at the monument site, talking to Honor Flight’s Jeff Miller about a minor act of civil disobedience. Since 2007, Honor Flight has organized free Washington trips for veterans who want to see the memorial before passing into the great unknown.

Thanks to the shutdown, that memorial is blocked by 4-foot-high portable railings, just like the rest of the open-air tourist magnets on the National Mall. The railings are incredibly easy to move, but the Park Service—the part of it not currently being furloughed—is technically supposed to arrest any scofflaws.

“Honestly, I think this is going to be over soon,” Bachmann says to Miller, referring to the shutdown. “It’s not going to be a problem.”

Until it is, Republican members of Congress are arriving at the memorial, just ahead of the Honor Flight buses. They open the railings and cheer the veterans, in full view of a media that can’t resist a good human-interest yarn. When a staffer points out Morgan to Bachmann and Carter, the members of Congress walk over to him, trailed by photographers.

full article
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2013/10/world_war_ii_veterans_visit_their_memorial_house_members_turn_up_for_the.html

[gopiscrap]

1. fucking asswipe repukes

and why didn't the rangers do their job and arrest these fuckers?

[Drale]

2. If I was a Ranger in Washington

I would volunteer my time so these veterans can see the monuments and to make sure the Repukes who are holding the country hostage aren't made to look like heroes in this situation. My dream is to be a National Park Ranger, and I know I would not have a problem volunteering my time and then attempt to take it off my taxes for this cause.

[KansDem]

3. We know why Michele Bachmann was there...

She's not seeking re-election in 2014 so she can be as loony as she wants.

New York Times

[Filibuster Harry]

4. Why didn't the veterans lash out at them for shutting down the government? The Rs were

responsible for shutting down the memorial. What? The Rs didn't know what the shutdown meant? Well, if they didn't they shouldn't be in congress to begin with. Now they are trying to save face and actually blame the democrats. Really? Well this american is so pissed off at this veteran photo op that I am sending letters to those veteran's organizations that I donate money to and letting them know that they will not get anything from me until they last out at these Rs.

[jberryhill]

6. They weren't there to do politics

Their trip to the memorial is about something else entirely.

[Filibuster Harry]

7. Understand but would it have been so bad for them to complain or yell or even push away the Rs

for actually shutting down the government for the country that they fought for?

[wandy]

5. I don't know. This is just the type of shiny object that would get teapublicans all...

happy and riled up. Now children going with out food, not so interesting to them. Parks and recreation, bad Obama Bad Bad!
Would it be untypical for republicans to attract their minions to a shiny object in a dun pile?