Dueling Bracelets

Honoring our fallen heroes -- Or scoring political points

Sunday, September 28th at 9:55AM EST

19 Comments

Recommenders: Jeffrey Malbis (malbis) (Diary)

Posted in its entirety at The Minority Report

There was a moment in last Friday’s debate when Sen John McCain held up his wrist and told the audience that he was given that bracelet by the family of Cpl Mathew Stanley, and that he would not allow Cpl Stanley’s sacrifice to be in vain.

Sen Obama immediately interrupted Sen McCain, pointing out that he too wore a bracelet to honor a fallen hero, then as he flailed for words, deftly held the bracelet up to read the name off the bracelet.

That moment in time, better than anything else during the debate, captured the differences between the two candidates. Substance over style, Sen McCain demonstrates why he connects with the people, while Sen Obama appears aloof and uninvolved, unable even to remember the soldier he presumably honors.

When asked by reporters about the bracelet, Sen McCain said, “It means any political ambitions of mine pale in comparison to the sacrifice that nearly 4,000 family members have made.”

In his speech at the Republican National Convention he mentioned his bracelet again. “I fight for the family of Matthew Stanley of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire,” he said. “Matthew died serving our country in Iraq. I wear his bracelet and think of him every day. I intend to honor their sacrifice by making sure the country their son loved so well and never returned to remains safe from its enemies.”

Sen Obama wears a bracelet bearing the name of Sgt Ryan David Jopek. Incredibly, the father of Sgt Jopek has asked Sen Obama to STOP wearing his son’s bracelet and to stop politicizing his son’s death, but the good senator continues to do so. (link and quotes provided)

On an ironic note, a POW bracelet was discovered in June, bearing the name of Sen John McCain. While cleaning out the attic of his deceased mother’s home, Leon Abbott found the copper bracelet that his mother wore for more than three years.

“She was instrumental in launching the POW/MIA movement, and it turns out the bracelet she wore was John McCain’s,” Abbott told NBC News in discussing his mother, Sarah Abbott. “Pure coincidence. I was pretty amazed.” (NBC News link provided)

Pundits have called Friday’s debate performance between the two presidential candidates a “draw.” But as demonstrated by the comparison of bracelets, on substance, it was a clear win for Sen McCain.

Originally posted at The Minority Report

19 Comments Leave a comment

Another interesting point on this

ToddH (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 10:07AM EST (link)

is that the soldier’s mother is still an Obama supporter. She wants Obama to stop wearing the bracelet, but in not wanting to hurt his campaign she tried to appeal to him privately to stop wearing the bracelet. This level of opportunism and callousness shown by Obama is breathtaking.

“Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American.”–General George S. Patton.

Yep! You nailed it

David Hinz (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 10:15AM EST (link)

He doesn’t care who he steps on to get what he wants.

The Minority Report — The HinzSight Report — TMRB.tv — MFOB “Miss Tagart, do you know the hallmark of the second-rater? It’s resentment of another man’s achievement.”

GSC Reco'd here and at TMR - Excellent summary of the nonsense we have to put with from Barack (nt)

Thrhheggeegwc Jjtkylkfofud (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 11:05AM EST (link)

Thank you George

David Hinz (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 11:36AM EST (link)

and btw — welcome to MFOB!

The Minority Report — The HinzSight Report — TMRB.tv — MFOB “Miss Tagart, do you know the hallmark of the second-rater? It’s resentment of another man’s achievement.”

Obama is Scum: This Story Needs To Be Recommended and Pushed By The Blogosphere

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 1:01PM EST (link)

I dont think this is getting enough attention. Brain Jopek speak about the defamation of his son’s name:

Brian Jopek Interview:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2008/09/28/family-told-obama-not-wear-soldier-sons-bracelet-where-media

Obama is a shameless maggot.

Obama is Scum: This Story Needs To Be Recommended and Pushed By The Blogosphere

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 1:06PM EST (link)

I dont think this is getting enough attention. Brain Jopek speak about the defamation of his son’s name:

Brian Jopek Interview:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/warner-todd-huston/2008/09/28/family-told-obama-not-wear-soldier-sons-bracelet-where-media

Obama is a shameless maggot.

Jake Tapper is actually reporting on this.

c17wife (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 1:10PM EST (link)

He has contacted the Obama campaign and the parents. No comment from either as of yet.
What a worthless POS Obama is.
Rage, rage, motha effin’ rage, I tell ya!

Duty is ours, outcomes belong to God.~Mike Pence

A Useful MSM Reporter - I'm Getting Dizzy n/t

Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 1:24PM EST (link)

A Useful MSM Reporter – I’m Getting Dizzy n/t

Listen to Jopek interview

Harod (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 1:26PM EST (link)

March 20, 2008 – “The Iraq War: 5th Anniversary”
Route 51 marks the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. Guests will be two local men who served in the conflict and had their lives changed by it. Brian Jopek of Merrill is a Staff Sergeant and Public Affairs Officer with the Wisconsin Army Guard who spent a year in Mosul and is scheduled to be deployed next week to Guantanamo. In August of 2006, he lost his 20 year old son Ryan to a roadside bomb. Steve Horvath also served in the Iraq War, after a three year stint in the Peace Corps. He is currently an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Agent for UW Extension Wood County. Listen

http://www.wpr.org/regions/wau/route51/archives.cfm

But McCain never said the words "middle class", while Obama

Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Sunday, September 28th at 7:33PM EST (link)

views the middle class as bitter clingers to bigotry, the bracelets of the the fallen soldiers of which he deems property his elitist 20-year pew-parked in a Hate Whitey America butt can exploit at will.

Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

About the bracelets...

vernonia Monday, September 29th at 5:48AM EST (link)

I’m voting for the candidate with the best “Man-of-the-People” anecdotes. Whoever has the most heart-rending, poignant tales of “Joe Sixpack of tiny, wind-swept Xenia, Ohio” will get my vote.

Just keep telling those “My-whole-foreign-policy-is-based-on-a-promise-to-a-Gold-Star-mother” stories.

Throw in a tale or two about the ravages of cancer on poor dad and the need for more ciggie taxes. Add a tear-jerker about poor little Bradley who played with a gun he found in an unlocked cabinet… Talk about the family living under a bridge because they didn’t have health insurance when Little Bobby jumped out of a tree and broke his leg. Wrap it up with some retired street-sweeper who just lost his entire self-directed IRA in WaMu shares.

I know the Arlington, Va born and bred, elite prep school, Naval Academy, 35 years in Washington,DC, “Arizonan” is a man of the people.

And I know the Indonesia-Hawaii-London-Paris-Munich-One-Night-in-Bangkok, Mosocow-on-the-Charles, gritty-South-Sider is one of us.

Just tell me a good story every night ere I go to sleep.

Dave Ramsey in 2012!

AP is covering it

BillBjar Monday, September 29th at 9:18AM EST (link)

http://tinyurl.com/47w25n

The mother of a Wisconsin soldier who died in Iraq says she was “ecstatic” when Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama mentioned during Friday’s debate the bracelet she gave him in honor of her son.

Tracy Jopek of Merrill told The Associated Press on Sunday she was honored that Obama remembered Sgt. Ryan David Jopek, who was killed in 2006 by a roadside bomb.

Jopek criticized Internet reports suggesting Obama, D-Ill., exploited her son for political purposes.

“I don’t understand how people can take that and turn it into some garbage on the Internet,” she said.

It appears to me that the mother and father (they are divorced) have different views on the bracelet. And it sounds like the mother thinks both candidates should refrain from bringing up their bracelets:

“I think these bracelets should be looked upon as an honor that both candidates wear them to respect the troops,” Jopek said. “My request to both of them is that they honor the troops by lifting the conversation to the issues, and that they continue to live up to the standards our military deserves.”

Try not to scof so much, vernonia.

blooch Monday, September 29th at 9:50AM EST (link)

Read this other Recommended diary. it may lift you up.

http://www.redstate.com/diaries/gamecock/2008/sep/27/we-the-people-are-not-above-it-all/

“Lieutenant Dike wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”

Tracey Jopek evidently is saying that she approves of the use of her son's bracelet by Obama

ZootSuit (Diary) Monday, September 29th at 4:28PM EST (link)

There are other sources but here’s the link from Drudge.

Not a good Monday.

***** Unrepentant African-American nationalist, Unapologetic African-American conservative!

So she's a Cindy Sheehan clone. (nt)

virgil Monday, September 29th at 5:26PM EST (link)

This was on Hannity & Colmes last night.

DavidS1787 (Diary) Tuesday, September 30th at 1:04AM EST (link)

N/T

Unfortunately

ZootSuit (Diary) Tuesday, September 30th at 9:43AM EST (link)

Yes

***** Unrepentant African-American nationalist, Unapologetic African-American conservative!

Apparently

Rod_Patrick (Diary) Tuesday, September 30th at 9:48AM EST (link)

both the Husband and Wife have had a good chat with Obama campaign and supporters.

Using SNL logic, I don’t have a proof for that but I also don’t have a proof otherwise.

Thanks! (nt)

Thrhheggeegwc Jjtkylkfofud (Diary) Wednesday, October 1st at 8:21PM EST (link)