By all means - let's treat the candidates the same - bwahahahahaha! I geuss if you run for office as a Dem you give up the normal rights a citizen has abroad.



Night before Obama flies abroad, Rice bars embassies from aiding candidates
John Byrne
Published: Monday July 21, 2008


The night before presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) left for Afghanistan, Iraq and Western Europe for a tour of US bases overseas, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a cable to US missions forbidding them from holding events for presidential candidates or arrange meetings for them.

Rice issued no such cable prior to foreign excursions by presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

In a cable sent late Thursday, according to a copy leaked to the Washington Times, Rice enjoined American diplomats to treat the candidates as "members of Congress visiting in personal or semi-personal capacities," but "with additional restrictions based on rules related to political activity."

"Provide de minimis assistance to the candidate with logistical arrangements," said the cable, according to the Times. "If the campaign staff wants to rent a bus for press, tell them where they can rent a bus."

Rice didn't issue the same demands in advance of travel by Sen. McCain. McCain visited the Middle East four months ago -- but officials told the paper they didn't make similar demands because he was part of an "official congressional delegation."

"American embassies and consulates around the world are actively engaged in official visits by members of Congress and other government leaders, the paper noted. "Diplomats meet the visitors at the airport, accompany them to meetings, most of which they have arranged, and host public events for them."

More here:The Raw Story | Night before Obama flies abroad, Rice bars embassies from aiding candidates

__________________
Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness.
- Robertson Davies

As a citizen abroad, you do not have the right to have the embassy hold events for you or arrange meetings for you. So, maybe you should know what the hell you're talking about before making idiotic posts!

However, to throw you just a little bone, it is suspicious that Rice would issue this instruction at this particular time and not, say, at the beginning of the campaign.

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A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes toward the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

If anyone doubted the republicans weren't the biggest bunch of crap infested whores, between McCain compromising the security of Obama's trip and this little ditty by Rice it should remove all doubt.

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I'm Proud I never Voted For Bush!



PAT PAULSEN FOR PRESIDENT

That's because McCain wasn't trying to get special treatment, while Obama thinks he is fricking royalty.

Probably because McCain has been on official overseas visits before and already knows the drill.

Hahahahahahaha....remember when McCain went to Iraq and had an entire market place cleared and was surrounded by a battalion of troops and a squadron of helicopters? Now if that's not special treatment I don't know what is...

__________________
I'm Proud I never Voted For Bush!



PAT PAULSEN FOR PRESIDENT

Hahahahahahaha...probably? All McCain't knows how to do is collaborate with the enemy...that's the only drill he knows.

__________________
I'm Proud I never Voted For Bush!



PAT PAULSEN FOR PRESIDENT

It's called security. If Obama had gone to Iraq during that violent time period he would have gotten the exact same treatment. Do you deny that?

Wow- an original thought.

Oh, you mean the security McCain't compromised?

Hahahahahahahaha....are you trying to claim that Iraq isn't still a violent place? Well if that's the case why not bring the troops home...

__________________
I'm Proud I never Voted For Bush!



PAT PAULSEN FOR PRESIDENT