Obama Cancels Poland Trip For President's Funeral Due To Ash Cloud

[Tx4obama]

Source: Associated Press (via HuffPo)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama scrapped plans to travel to Poland on Saturday for the funeral of Poland's president because of hazardous flying conditions caused by the volcanic ash cloud over Europe.

Obama said the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Lee Feinstein, would represent the United States at the service Sunday in Krakow for Lech Kaczynski.

The White House announcement came about six hours before Obama was scheduled to depart on the overnight flight. Obama called Poland's acting president, Bronislaw Komorowski, with the news that the trip was off, citing fallout from the volcano in Iceland.

Kaczynski and 95 others, including numerous lawmakers, the central bank governor, the commanders of the country's armed forces and the head of its Olympic committee, died in a plane crash April 10 near Russia's Katyn forest, site of a World War II massacre of Polish officers.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/17/obama-cancels-poland-trip_n_541703.html

---

Obama's statement:

"I spoke with acting President Komorowski and told him that I regret that I will not be able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe. Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy. President Kaczynski was a patriot and close friend and ally of the United States, as were those who died alongside him, and the American people will never forget the lives they led." (2:57 p.m.)

Quote from: http://www.politico.com/politico44/

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Cue right wing talking point of Obama dissing Poland by skipping funeral!

I give it less than 24 hours before it happens.

[Hawkeye-X]

6. I DARE the Rethuglicans fly through the ash cloud. Please.

Oh, and if you want, you can take a non-union pilot that has no experience.

Hawkeye-X

[47of74]

16. And if he had gone they would've bitched about his going.

He can't win with these reich wing idiots.

[yava]

21. It shouldn't even be his call but his national security team:

He needs to be present and in command and not risk national interests for a funeral ceremony, however important and close to heart.
Dick was taken off to a nuclear safe bunker during 9/11.
Presidents need to be protected by their staff in order to be in command.
The President riding on Island volcano ash to a Polish funeral is just not in the national interest.
Nothing to add.

[marshall]

2. Isn't that what ambassadors are for in the first place?

The President doesn't have the time to go galloping across the globe to every funeral and other such events.

[pitohui]

3. travel is at an impasse in northern europe for everyone

i think we will just have to be satisfied to send flowers

[zbdent]

10. I'm sure that Hannity's private jet could be commissioned to go ... and they could hire a tried and

true pilot ...

I hear McCain's not busy this week ...

[activa8tr]

13. good one!

[zbdent]

15. For the record, I meant "they" as in Bush43 and Palin ...

not Obama ...

Bush43 and Palin could hire McCain to fly them through the cloud ... Bush43 is a "pilot", yes, but he'd have to be sober to fly it ... hell, maybe he SHOULD pilot the jet ...

[karynnj]

24. It is true that ALL the Republicans in the Senate are not busy

All they are doing is voting No on cloture - for everything. A "NO" vote and not voting at all have the same affect on a cloture vote. (Maybe he is working on something constructive in some committee, but I wouldn't bet on it.)

But, this attack is premature. Neither the RW or McCain have criticized Obama.

[Tx4obama]

4. But in this case....

TONS of world leaders had planned on attending
and President Obama knew him personally, so that is why Obama had planned on going.
So, it would have been appropriate for Obama to have been there.

I am THRILLED Obama canceled the trip, I've been worried that he'd go and they'd have plane trouble ;(

[PSzymeczek]

20. It's not a matter of visibilitiy, as some people think.

The ash gets in the engines, and really gums up the works, causing the engines to seize, and the plane to crash.

[zbdent]

9. Well, since Bush43 and Sarah Palin acknowledge Poland's contribution to the Iraq invasion,

then maybe Obama can send them to be ambassadors to the ash cloud ...

[DesertRat]

5. Bush responds

[Bluebear]

7. Good. It's not safe. Condolences to the people of Poland.

[IndianaGreen]

8. A sensible decision!

Volcanic ash is nothing to be trifled with.

[zbdent]

11. Maybe Obama can send "You forgot Poland" Bush43 and Sarah Palin with a pilot who's faced worse ...

and lived to tell about it ...

John McCain ...

[LynneSin]

12. WHAT ABOUT POLAND???

You knew someone was going to post that

[BrightKnight]

23. They allied with us for good reasons and had to eat a lot of Chimpy crap

because of it. They are a young democracy with a difficult neighbor and bad memories. There is nothing funny about any of it.

[activa8tr]

14. Is Sarah Palin free? We COULD send HER! She knows all about how

planes from that part of the world, Russia and all, fly over Alaskan airspace, and right into the airspace in her brain.

[nyy1998]

17. This is sort of ironic considering the conditions surrounding Komorowski's death

But a good call by President Obama, we don't want a repeat of that terrible accident.

[elocs]

18. Seems like I read about that here 3 hours ago:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x272032

[rocktivity]

19. How shiftless and lazy of him

When everyone knows he can walk on water.

:eyes:
rocktivity

[BrightKnight]

22. He really should make that trip if there is any way to do it.

Poland deserves our full support.

[No Elephants]

25. Good. Boston new is full of stories of runners who have been unable to fly here for the Marathon.

They've been training all year. The Marathan will hold their numbers as long as possible Monday morning, but, even if they get here, they'll be jet lagged.

Anyway, the POTUS can't be expected to risk being stranded in Europe or to fly in unsafe cconditions.