During the first Presidential debate last Friday night, Sen. Barack Obama made two powerful points that seemed to make some points for him and against Sen. John McCain. One was his ‘me too’ response to what McCain said about a bracelet he wears from a fallen soldier. The other was that Dr. Henry Kissinger, a McCain adviser, supported his view that the U.S. president should meet with Iran’s president and other rogue dictators without preconditions.
His dance about Henry Kissinger’s advice was deceptive, if not simply indicative of a candidate loose with the facts. But don’t expect the mainstream media to set the record straight.
Here is a quote from Dr. Kissinger immediately after the debate about Obama’s remark.
‘Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality.’
The bracelet issue is really not much of an issue, except for the fact that Obama was asked by the family not to bring up their son’s name or use it in speeches and debates. The father and mother, since divorced, have both confirmed that point.
All that can be said about it with any certitude now is that Obama showed the world how deep his commitment to that soldier was when he didn’t even know his name. And, that for a man wanting to be Commander in Chief, he can not be trusted to keep his word to the mother of a fallen soldier.
For the mother’s part, she is an Obama supporter. She is reported to have said that Obama’s mention of her son on Friday was appropriate because he was responding after Sen. John McCain said a soldier’s mother gave him a bracelet.