White House wobbles on U.S. flag after McCain death

[webfact]

White House wobbles on U.S. flag after McCain death

By David Morgan

 

The White House flag is seen after being returned to half-staff in honor of Senator John McCain (R-AZ) after first being lowered on Sunday in his honor, then raised again just after midnight on Monday and then being returned to half-staff Monday afternoon at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House lowered its U.S. flag to half-staff, raised it back up and on Monday lowered it again after the death of Senator John McCain, in an unusual and confusing break with protocol on the passing of a national leader.

 

McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, longtime U.S. senator from Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, died of brain cancer on Saturday at age 81. That prompted many Americans to lower flags to half-staff, a traditional gesture of honour.

 

A combination of three photographs shows the U.S. flag atop the White House flying at half staff Sunday morning August 26 in honor of the death of Senator John McCain (top), back at full staff less than 24 hours later on Monday morning August 27 (middle) and then back down to half-staff Monday afternoon (bottom) in Washington, U.S., August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts, Kevin Lamarque and Leah Millis

 

But President Donald Trump, who had clashed with fellow Republican McCain over various issues and said during his campaign that the senator was "not a war hero," wavered in his approach to what presidents normally treat as a gesture of courtesy and respect.

 

Trump's White House lowered its flag on Saturday, then raised it back following the minimum period under law. Trump also delayed issuing the customary proclamation for flags to remain at half-staff for longer than the two-day minimum.

 

Finally, under pressure from veterans and members of Congress, Trump said in a statement later on Monday that he respected McCain's service to the nation and ordered flags to half-staff.

 

"Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain's service to our country and, in his honour, have signed a proclamation to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff until the day of his interment," Trump said.

 

In the interim, through most of Monday, confusion reigned across the federal government, with flags flying at half-staff over the U.S. Capitol and at hundreds of national parks, but at full-staff over the Pentagon and the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security had issued a government-wide notification after McCain's death to lower flags at U.S. facilities but rescinded it on Monday, leaving the decision to staff at individual sites, according to an official.

 

"The American Legion urges the White House to follow long-established protocol following the death of prominent government officials," Denise Rohan, national commander of the veterans group, said in a message to Trump on its Facebook page. The Legion described McCain as a "cherished member."

 

'SOMEWHAT SHOCKING'

Presidents normally follow Congress' lead on the death of a prominent lawmaker and order flags lowered until sunset on the day of burial. Critics of the president saw his reticence as a final slight against McCain.

 

"I doubt you could find a comparable situation where the president doesn't order the flag flown at half-mast until the funeral," said John Lawrence, history professor at the University of California's Washington Center.

 

"The disparity between the Congress and White House policy is obviously noticeable and somewhat shocking."

 

McCain was a frequent Trump critic and his family has said he did not want the president to attend his funeral.

 

A family spokesman issued a farewell statement from McCain in which he said of the United States: "We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries ... We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been."

 

(Reporting by David Morgan; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Steve Holland, Tim Gardner, Amanda Becker, Phil Stewart, Tim Ahmann and Jeff Mason; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-28

[Samui Bodoh]

"...The White House lowered its U.S. flag to half-staff, raised it back up and on Monday lowered it again after the death of Senator John McCain, in an unusual and confusing break with protocol on the passing of a national leader...

 

...Trump's White House lowered its flag on Saturday, then raised it back following the minimum period under law. Trump also delayed issuing the customary proclamation for flags to remain at half-staff for longer than the two-day minimum..."

 

What a petty, petty, man.

 

There are many in the world who criticize the US for a variety of reasons, but rarely did I ever hear about a lack of basic decency. Before now.

 

I have said it before and (sadly) need to say it again;

 

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

God help us all. 

 

 

[pegman]

Trump keeping it classy.

[ezzra]

Trump has ushered in a whole new game of US presidency and being a president, da hell with protocol, PC, elinquint and etiquette, a bull in a China shop he is trampling on everyone and everything in his way, time will tell whether his presidency will be remembered in infamy or otherwise...

[Credo]

He has managed to really tick-off the AmVet and the American Legion.   

 

Veterans Group Calls Out Trump’s ‘Outrageous’ Response To John McCain’s Death

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/amvets-trump-mccain-death_us_5b840313e4b03485860253fd

 

Veterans groups furious with White House over ‘disrespect’ following John McCain’s death

WASHINGTON — Leadership from two prominent veterans groups on Monday blasted White House officials for “disrespect” in their response to the death of former Arizona Sen. John McCain, insisting the Navy veteran deserved more national recognition.

At issue is a decision by the president and his staff not to keep flags flying at half-staff for this week, leading up to McCain’s funeral on Saturday. McCain, arguably the best-known veteran in America, died after a lengthy battle with brain cancer on Saturday, Aug. 25.

Flags at national buildings were lowered when McCain’s death was announced but raised just two days later on Monday morning, bucking a tradition of honoring well-known members of Congress for longer periods of time.

 

https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2018/08/27/veterans-group-furious-with-white-house-over-disrespect-following-john-mccains-death/

 

The man is petty beyond belief.   His insensitivity knows no bounds.   

 

[Spidey]

Berates athletes for disrespecting the flag by taking a knee, then uses it to disrespect McCain. The ultimate hypocrite.

[anon537687643]

November is the only time for voters to remove the party that backs this psycho


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[mtls2005]

It's up, it's down, it's back up, it's back down.

 

Pick a spot and stick with it FCOL.

 

What's amazing to me is that this even something that tRUmp would have on his to-do list? 

 

 

[Nickymaster]

This shameless orange low-life is capable of doing amazing things. 

[darksidedog]

Critics of the president saw his reticence as a final slight against McCain. 

You have to be a very petty and mean spirited person to try to score points after a mans death. It seems with every action this man proves his total unsuitability for the job. Totally and utterly disgraceful. I am actually shocked at how low he will stoop.

[mtls2005]

Time to blame it on a "flag boy".

 

 

[lanista]

You have to expect this behaviour from someone who has spent his life in the boardrooms and bedrooms of New York City.  He is still very popular and 'odds on' to win another term.

McCain was the staunchest supporter of US Australia relations particularly in the post Vietnam war era.

He was highly regarded by  Australia and the Vietnam Veterans .

Obviously this means FA to Trump.

[Slip]

This sums up the Trump administration in a nutshell.  Spiteful, but vacillatory and irresolute in their mean-spiritedness.

[Scott]

Troll post and reply removed.

 

[Credo]

He's been unwelcomed at at least 4 funerals and a wedding.   He can best be described as President-non-grata.   

 

[bendejo]

McCain's very existence made DT feel inferior.  A draft-dodger denouncing a war veteran with wounds that will be a life-long burden, how can ANYONE abide with that?

 

 

[bristolboy]

33 minutes ago, lanista said:

  He is still very popular and 'odds on' to win another term.

 

 

 

Really?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

[mtls2005]

It always amazed me that Vets defend a guy who avoided service, yet attack people like McCain, Kerry, Mueller et al. who served with distinction. Kerry and Mueller could have easily avoided service.

 

It's never enough for them to say they respect their service and disagree with their opinions/policies/positions, but they feel this strange need to attack, demean, defame them. It's so weird.

 

 

[neeray]

Half mast, full mast, maybe yes, maybe no. "We'll see" (a trumpism). Friends today, foe tomorrow.

I said it, I didn't say it.

This disrespectful buffoon is the most nebulous character in politics.

[thaiguzzi]

46 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

You have to be a very petty and mean spirited person to try to score points after a mans death. It seems with every action this man proves his total unsuitability for the job. Totally and utterly disgraceful. I am actually shocked at how low he will stoop.

I agree with everything you have written.

Except your last sentence.

I'm not shocked in the least.

The guy has ZERO class, and regardless of his wealth and influence, is a complete low life scumbag.

 

[Becker]

11 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

McCain, really.  I think you need to go do some McCain research.  What he did when he was a prisoner of war.  Don't put honor and McCain in the same sentence.  I am a 100% disabled combat veteran by the way.  So yes i know a bit about this subject.

If you think the draft dodging man-child has any honor at all then I question where your disability is located. McCain was a decorated war hero who was tortured while in captivity - the bag of pus in the WH is a disgrace to all former and active members of the military.

 

PS. To BuaBS; This is an automated message.You have reached your "sad" reaction limit for this thread and your right to use it has been suspended for one hour.

[neeray]

1 minute ago, Becker said:

If you think the draft dodging man-child has any honor at all then I question where your disability is located. McCain was a decorated war hero who was tortured while in captivity - the bag of pus in the WH is a disgrace to all former and active members of the military.

 

PS. To BuaBS; This is an automated message.You have reached your "sad" reaction limit for this thread and your right to use it has been suspended for one hour.

Excellent Becker!

BuaBS will be going into hiding soon as tRump crashes and burns. I won't miss his "sad" emoticons.

[Spidey]

Just now, neeray said:

Excellent Becker!

BuaBS will be going into hiding soon as tRump crashes and burns. I won't miss his "sad" emoticons.

He's already crashed and burned. We are watching the flames, which is why BuaBs is so sad. Words have failed him.

[Becker]

4 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

It always amazed me that Vets defend a guy who avoided service, yet attack people like McCain, Kerry, Mueller et al. who served with distinction.

Self-proclaimed vets. Since the man-child they fervently support is a compulsive liar then it follows that...... 

[lanista]

19 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Really?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

The only poll that matters is the one on election day .  I think Trump is doing OK .Certainly better than that  'do nothing Obama' creature.

He's sticking up for the yanks and the Trotskies hate him for it.

McCain  probably took advantage of his war record more than most. He came from  a well connected  Navy family didnt he?   Which got himself transfered to a more comfortable POW hospital camp.

He was still a shining light in  dark Washington.

[BobBKK]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

You have to be a very petty and mean spirited person to try to score points after a mans death. It seems with every action this man proves his total unsuitability for the job. Totally and utterly disgraceful. I am actually shocked at how low he will stoop.

I agree but to be fair the 'other side' are making lots of political capital out of McCain's death. Politics should be out of it on any 'side'.

[Tug]

He is a bitch pure and simple

[attrayant]

19 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

I agree but to be fair the 'other side' are making lots of political capital out of McCain's death. Politics should be out of it on any 'side'.

 

Can you show us some of this, because I haven't seen it.  Next thing we know, you'll be saying "where was the outrage when democrats were making political hay from Mcain's death??"  I'm willing to be outraged by anyone taking advantage of this event, on either side.  For example:

 

James Inhofe (R): "Well, you know, frankly, I think that John McCain is partially to blame for that because he is very outspoken."

 

Kelli Ward (R): “I think [the McCain family] wanted to have a particular narrative that they hope is negative to me."

[Pib]

Cadet Bone Spurs is not good enough to even lick Senator McCain's boots.  

[Becker]

47 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

Did Trump make a mistake in his response to McCains death.....Oh yes, he did. If he was a polished politician like Obama he would have come out with the usual political drivel --how we had our differences but respected each other .....etc etc

In this context what you man-child supporters call political drivel us grown-ups call behaving like a responsible adult.

Edited August 28, 2018 by Becker