UPDATE 2 on Obama in New Mexico, Memorial Day–Nothing Like an “UNBIASED” Press…

Obama has left the rally. He shook hands for about 15 minutes before leaving at around 2:20 pm local. He apparently did take a few questions from the audience, which was not exclusively VETS. I am guessing that they had to combine the “Vets Only Town Hall” with the “few other stops” as reported originally so that they could create a big enough media event. The blogger in his first post reported only about 100 vets out of a total of about 300 people.

The event is “reported” over a series of 10 short posts. A couple of them are devoted to Obama’s speech, which is quoted. One has to wonder if it is really transcribed or if it was handed out to the media before the event–because, after all, ONLY THE PRESS and the SELECT AUDIENCE was told of the venue ahead of time! I would guess the blogger plugged it into the report verbatim from a text handed to him.

Overall, It sounds like pretty typical campaign stuff on military issues, tied into thanking the military.

“I speak to you today with deep humility,” Obama said. “I don’t know what it is like to march into battle, as many of you do. … I am the father of two young girls, and I cannot fathom what it is like to lose a child.”

“Our sadness today is mixed with pride” for our veterans who gave their lives.

(I hate to be snarky, but he doesn’t seem to care about what his two girls hear at church…)

The questions that were REPORTED on by the Times blogger were about the VA, Blackwater, the economy, and “ballistic missles versus language training because in our current war, we didn’t have people to speak the language of our foes or allies.” Obama apparently didn’t foul up like he has before on the language actually spoken by local translators. He kept his answer nice and generic.

Here’s the part of this report that is really questionable. This is how the blogger/apparent reporter for the El Paso Times signed off from the blog…

Obama shook hands for about 15 minutes, then left to cheers. That’s all I have for now. I’ll give you more when I return to the office.

In closing, Obamanos!

What’s that all about?? Is it supposed to be PERSONAL?? As in, we ALL love Obama?? And he’s reporting??? Or is that the secret code word for all the Obama supporters in the area? (Don’t forget, Clinton won NM…)

No reports of swooning, or if there was any, it was most likely due to heat prostration or sunstroke…

Tomorrow I will see how the local sister paper plasters this all over the front page and report on that, too.

PS–It will be interesting to see if anyone calls into the “Sound Off” line with a comment about how disrespectful it was to turn a “Veteran’s town hall meeting” into a rally on Memorial Day…especially when we are supposed to honor those who “fought for our freedoms” which apparently DOES NOT INCLUDE allowing the general public to attend!!