I'm always fascinated with this Maladminstration's blatant hypocrisy and the politicization of the various Executive Branch Departments' actions. It seems the Hatch Act is only applicable to the Democrats and the Repugs can ignore it anytime they see fit...

Let's start with the State Department...

In June, the Shrub appointed Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, coordinated and attended a speech delivered by McInsane to the Economic Club of Toronto, in Ottawa, during which, McCain made clear references to and critiques of Obama’s policy positions in the speech, and referred to his own presidential campaign six times.

Meanwhile, Yesterday, when Obama stood in front of the Victory Monument in front of 200,000 Germans in Tiergarten Park, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin “instructed Foreign Service personnel stationed there not to attend Sen. Barack Obama’s public rally” because the event was “‘partisan political activity‘ prohibited under its regulations for those serving overseas.”

Hmmm... what say you...? Hypocritical?

Moving along to the latest episode...

The Pentagon had given the green light for the Obama camp to land his campaign plane in Ramstein AFB to visit wounded troops at nearby Landstuhl, the largest military hospital outside of the US, on July 15th or 16th. I've been to it and it is massive! Then all of a sudden the Pentagon raised concerns that it was a political event...

"We learned from the Pentagon [Wednesday] night that the visit would be viewed instead as a campaign event. Senator Obama did not want to have a trip to see our wounded warriors perceived as a campaign event ... and decided instead not to go."

The Pentagon today said that, while political and campaign activity at military installations is restricted, it welcomes all nonpolitical visits by U.S. senators and did not bar an Obama visit.

"Nobody denied Senator Obama the opportunity to visit our wounded being cared for at Landstuhl. Obviously as a sitting senator he has an interest in that and can certainly visit in an official capacity," said Bryan Whitman, spokesman for the Pentagon. "There are as you know, though, restrictions on what you can do as a candidate for political office, that stems from trying to maintain political neutrality and not have the military involved in politics."[...]

Pentagon officials said their interpretation of regulations made it clear that this visit would have to be considered campaign related.

That's interesting since he's a candidate for political office, he can't visit, but, as a sitting senator he can... Alrighty then... He must've been wearing the wrong hat...!

So what was McInsane's and the Repugs response...?

The campaign of Obama's GOP rival, Sen. John S. McCain, was quick to criticize the decision. "Barack Obama is wrong," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said. "It is never 'inappropriate' to visit our men and women in the military."

The Youtube above was another sample of their vitriol.

Being a classier act than the Repugs, Obama still reached out to the wounded at Landstuhl...

Obama made phone calls to wounded soldiers at Landstuhl Germany this morning, in lieu of a personal visit to the forces that was canceled by the Obama campaign.

Obama was expected to speak to a number of soldiers individually.

Adapt and overcome...! I wonder what ruckus the Repugs would've raised if he had visited the wounded...?

Damned if you do...