President Obama’s Welcome Party. Who Will Be There, and Who Will Not?
12 11 2009Today, President Barack Obama will visit the only one of the 50 states he has not visited before. On a refueling stop between the U.S. and Asia, the president will take the opportunity to meet with some of the troops at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Here is his schedule:
Private meeting with service members, 1:10 p.m. Address to service members at Hangar 1, 1:30 p.m. The Hangar 1 event will be covered live by local media. The White House extended invitations to key elected officials, but several Republicans are passing. Democratic Sen. Mark Begich will be there. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski will be in Kotzebue and Republican Rep. Don Young didn’t come back to Alaska for the Veterans Day recess. Republican Gov. Sean Parnell will skip the visit and instead deliver a “major” speech on deferred maintenance at the Associated General Contractors annual conference in Anchorage, a long-standing commitment, his spokeswoman said. A city spokeswomen said Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan will attend.
That’s right. The governor of our state is too busy to meet the President of the United States when he comes to Alaska for the first time. Darn. If it weren’t for that “major” speech… Wonder what that’s all about?
According to the agenda of the Associated General Contractors of Alaska Annual Conference, the conference runs from Wednesday, November 11 at 8am through lunch on Saturday afternoon, and concludes with a dinner/dance Saturday night. That’s three and a half days.
And the “major” speech that the governor apparently could not reschedule to welcome the President of the United States to Alaska? That’s the “Excellence in Safety Awards Luncheon” at the Captain Cook Hotel. It’s sandwiched (pardon the pun) between the “Go From Profit Mystery to Profit Mastery” presentation, and a Department of Transportation Q&A session.
According to Mapquest, the Captain Cook Hotel is 2.24 miles from Elmendorf Air Force Base and for travel planning purposes, you can expect the trip to take 6 minutes.
What a shame that he’s had this “long standing commitment” for a “major” hour and a half luncheon for local contractors in the middle of a three and a half day conference that was unable to be rescheduled. What terrible luck. The governor must be really disappointed. How frustrating and embarrassing that the President will arrive without the benefit of a greeting from the governor when he’s stuck with no possibility of escape just 2.24 miles away.
Because, if it was just the fact that he’s a Republican governor who can’t be bothered meeting with the President on behalf of ALL of the residents of the state of Alaska, it would be pretty embarrassing indeed. And it would highlight a few things about this new governor including; his decision-making ability, his sense of diplomacy, his understanding of priorities, his common sense, and his belief that we are really that stupid. Coming from the governor’s office, that sounds kind of familiar actually.
Even Mayor Dan Sullivan, after initially rejecting his tickets was shamed into accepting them, and will presumably be attending today. It will be interesting to see when all is said and done, who is there and who is not. I guess it will become obvious if we’re going to have to start apologizing for our governor – AGAIN.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Headline: Governor Parnell snubs troops!
The Republican party does not realize they are losing the hearts and minds of our armed forces, there second most reliable voting block behind evangelicals.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:30 PM
And there for art thou is my short career stint in live blogging!
November 12th, 2009 at 2:32 PM
The President also gave a shout out to the Lt. Gov., who did show up! Not a peep about the no show doofuses! What a class act from our President!. Great speech. Even if all our military don’t agree with our President, they at least respect him, for he so obviously respects them!
November 12th, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Parnell will try to smile his way to reelection.
But who will he represent? Who did he represent today? Our troops? Our President?
Today Parnell represented contractors. I’ve been ripped off by contractors almost as often as often as by plumbers. Perhaps Parnell represents rip off. After all, he’s a Republican.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Meede, thanks for the CNN link. I was able to watch all of it.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:48 PM
You are welcome Irishgirl.
You enjoyed the excitement in real time along with everyone else. A treat instead of waiting for uploads!
November 12th, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Republican governors have been programmed/instructed to pretend that President Obama doesnt exist. In FL last week, perma-tan Charlie Crist said he had no knowledge of the Presidents visit to Jacksonville. FOIA requests show his office was INFORMED by the Presidents office of his schedule. OOPS!
Charlie also said he was for the stimulus before he said he is now against it and the pic of him hugging Obama is pure hate ammunition for the righties here.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:19 PM
what is it with AK politicians and contractors? is he getting a re-model out of this, or what?
November 12th, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Good points Deist, lol.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Send the gov an email to show your displeasure…
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/govmail.php
November 12th, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Sorry to say it, but for the most part Alaskans are truly and absolutely pathetic – with a few notable exceptions!
November 12th, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Email sent to Parnell……told him how totally rude he was!
November 12th, 2009 at 3:57 PM
In Parnell’s defense contractors are very important, just as Ted Stevens.
What an embarrassment,no sense of diplomacy, and he wants to call himself a statesman? He’s trailer trash.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:03 PM
I sent an email to Gov. Parnell earlier today. I wrote “shame on you” for not greeting the leader of our country and that the people of Alaska deserve to have a mature adults representing them.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:21 PM
It is a pretty sad state of affairs when the Chief Executive of the State won’t show up to welcome the President of the United States. Shame on him. I don’t care what excuse he came up with…it was lame at best. Is there any backlash in the local press up there for this blatant snub??
November 12th, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Do you think Parnell would have showed up if the head of state from Japan….or Mexico….or Canada…had visited? Hell, yeah! Groveling, kissing ass, and grinning like a beaver for his photo op with a foreign dignitary.
Hey, Parnell….you’re an unpatriotic disgrace to Alaskans and Americans!
PO….classy as usual in the face of the petty GOP. Best wishes on your Asian trip, Mr. President!!
November 12th, 2009 at 4:30 PM
i am disgusted by the republicans’ disrespect for our elected president. gw was treated better by the dems and he stole his office…just disgusted. don’t fret akm it is not limited to alaskan repubs
November 12th, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Thanks for the link to Parnell. I have also sent him my disappointment at his lack of manners and I hope many others do the same. Carry On Pups!
November 12th, 2009 at 5:37 PM
@ rocket
“Sorry to say it, but for the most part Alaskans are truly and absolutely pathetic – with a few notable exceptions!”
it is my duty as a noteable exceptionary Alaskan to point out that I do not think you know the majority of Alaskans. Gov. Parnell, just like Palin the twit, does not represent the every day Alaskan. There are thousands more than a “few noteable exceptions”. Also, the use of the word pathetic is immediately dissonant and rude. I guess this means you aren’t ever planning to visit Alaska?
November 12th, 2009 at 5:46 PM
I join the many other Alaskans who are ashamed and embarrassed that our Governor snubbed our President — while two miles away!!
By his actions, it is clear that he supports divisive, partisan politics, a la Palin. I guess we’re seeing his true colors….
Parnell has totally lost my respect over this shameful no show. What a disappointment.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:50 PM
I am quite sure that the President missed dumba** Parnell as much as he missed bimbo Palin. Their absence was a god-send for the President.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:13 PM
Well, compared to recent Alaska gubernatorial appearances at military bases… at least this time the gov didn’t play games with the event planners, demand to be included on the program at the last minute after ignoring the original invitation, nor did he attend in a miniskirt.
Unfortunately, this is progress.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:38 PM
Another strike for Lisa. Sad. Along with yesterday’s standing up with the tea baggers I believe she is beyond strike three. We are disappointed.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Oh gak! Thank god the twit wasn’t there as Gov or even as twit – I can only imagine that her attire would have been, well, stupid. I am not the fashion police, and rarely comment on someone’s dressing habits but Palin has had me gagging at well attended events. You just can’t acquire class – it has to have something to stick to!
Hurray for Senator Begich – thank you for representing me and Alaska.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:58 PM
And yet another douche for a governor. That’s three in a row!
November 13th, 2009 at 7:14 AM
(This is what happens when you’re travelling, you miss all the best posts on Mudflats.) I am appalled at Governor Parnell’s snubbing of President Obama. That was just plain rude. I’m betting his mother raised him with better manners. Sometimes, dammit, it isn’t about politics, it’s about governance. If you can’t suck it up and put your political differences aside for a couple of hours the first (and for all we know) the only time the president of the United States comes to call, what chance do you have of getting things done in a job where pragmatism is what get things done?
I’m writing him a letter telling him so and I urge all Alaska voters to do the same.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:23 AM
I’m just wondering why Map Quest is looping people around the 6th instead of shooting over on 4th…could have shaved off another minute there.