Widow of Fort Carson soldier skips meeting with president

[Fozzledick]

Posted on Tue, Nov. 25, 2003

Widow of Fort Carson soldier skips meeting with president
Associated Press

PUEBLO, Colo. - The widow of a soldier killed in Iraq says she skipped a meeting with President Bush because she is angry with the president and "didn't want to go and be disrespectful."

Johnna Loia of Pueblo was among family members and relatives of those killed in the war who were invited to meet with Bush at Fort Carson on Monday.

Loia's fiance, Spc. Brian Penisten of Ft. Wayne, Ind., was killed Nov. 2 in a helicopter crash along with three other Fort Carson soldiers. In all, the crash killed 16 U.S. troops.

...

"I have a lot of harsh feelings for the president right now," Loia told The Pueblo Chieftain. "I contemplated going, but right now I think I'd find it hard to be respectful."


http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/7347334.htm

on edit: link

[Zero Gravitas]

1. HA HA HA

Take that Mr. "Popular President" Bush. At least this poor lady has some class and just blew the little weasel off. If I were in her shoes I might have gone along just for the chance of telling the worthless waste of space just what I thought about him and his phony little agenda.

[Judi Lynn]

2. At least she had the dignity to avoid being cynically used for P.R.

like the other victems' loved ones:

(snip) Bush spent nearly two hours in a private meeting with more than 100 family members of fallen Fort Carson soldiers. Among those at the Army post were Penisten's parents, John and Mona Penisten of Ft. Wayne.

So was Donald R. Bucklew, the father of another soldier, Sgt. Ernest Bucklew, 33, of Enon Valley, Pa., who died in the helicopter attack. Bucklew said he was struck by the president's demeanor.

"He laughed and he cried and he hugged each and every one of us," Bucklew said. "It was a very heartfelt experience."

Melissa Givens, 27, also met the president with her two sons, Dakota, 6, and Carson, 5 1/2 months. Her husband, Pfc. Jesse Givens, was the first Fort Carson soldier to die in Iraq, on May 1.

"The tears in his eyes, I'll keep that memory forever," Givens said of the president. "I've always thought he cared, and today I know he cares." (snip)

Un-Bleep-believable.

Welllll, it wasn't exactly a "private meeting" if they made sure the press got every last gibbering, slavish, worshipful Republican sylable of praise for their pResident's few minutes of emoting with them.

You remember he was beginning to get too much criticism just in the last few weeks, and his people felt they had to give out a cover story that he had too much "respect for the privacy" of the relatives to want to bother them at their time of grief. Oh, ha ha ha. How obvious.

[Lisa]

3. alas, I don't think anything she could say would get through to him

This is a man who, when confronted by that British war widow (and her adorable 4-year-old son, who looked straight into Mr. Bush's eyes and said, "My daddy's in heaven") -- didn't even TRY to answer her question about why no WMDs had been found.

[DinahMoeHum]

7. Yeah, in one ear and out the other. . .

n/t

:evilfrown:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. ...with nothing between the ears to block the sound waves.

[0007]

4. The Pueblo Chieftain is a right wing paper, by the way.

Good for this young lady. The whole country should be pissed at junior for any life that have been taken.

[CheshireCat]

16. No kidding!

"The Pueblo Chieftain is a right wing paper, by the way."

After reading the article, I have no doubt!

[mbperrin]

5. No NEED to be respectful of a no-good

pretender!

If we had a few more people who actually refused to be groped for the "good of the country" we might put an end to this nightmare!

[demnan]

6. If Clark hadn't taken Bush to task for not visiting with the families

he never would have done so. That is how much he cares. He cares that voters see him as caring.

[devinsgram]

13. Isn't that the biggest truth of all.

What a hypocrite. If I believed in hell, it would be to good for him. This man is so evil, the devil wouldn't want him.

[heidiho]

8. I would have loved to see her spit in his face and say

"It's YOUR fault my fiancee is dead as well as the other 400+ young people who died for your needless war for oil and greed."

[ninkasi]

10. In that case...

she would have been giving exactly the respect he has earned. None.

[kentuck]

9. The paper said he met with 26 of the families....

And I knew there were 27 casualties...

[roguevalley]

12. I'd be in jail because I would have slapped his smirk right off his face

if my nephews were killed in this war. As it is, because
of him, they are officially draft bait. I think my family
gave enough blood with Viet Nam and World War II.

[robbedvoter]

14. At least W obeyed the general's orders ;-)

General Wesley K. Clark Calls on President Bush to Start Honoring Soldiers who Died in Iraq
http://clark04.com/press/release/091/
No sooner did Clark say in the debate that W only visits the Brits families and ...voila! Good for her!

[LiberalFighter]

15. Local Ft Wayne News

Ex-city man killed on copter

Dwenger Mass celebrates life of fallen grad

Fiancee Mourns Soldier's Death in Attack

Farewell, soldier

Two soldiers who died in copter crash had city ties

But nothing about that story