“Bracelet Wars” Update

There is an update on the “Bracelet Wars” from Friday night’s debate.

Sgt. Ryan Jopek’s mother, Tracey, has now weighed in, on the heels of her ex-husband’s comments yesterday. She told the Associated Press that she was “ecstatic” when Barack Obama mentioned her son’s name during the debate, but was upset by reports and commentary that suggested otherwise.

The Caucus (New York Times Political Blog) reports:

“I don’t understand how people can take that and turn it into some garbage on the Internet,” she said.

In February, Ms. Jopek, of Merrill, Wis., gave Mr. Obama the bracelet with Ryan’s name on it. Since then, Mr. Obama has worn the bracelet on the campaign trail, frequently mentioning Mr. Jopek while addressing crowds.

Ms. Jopek told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last spring that she was honored by Mr. Obama mentioning her son on the campaign trail.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was such an honor, such an honor,” she said. “To know that he does know his name. It means a lot.”

She acknowledges that she asked the campaign to stop using her son’s name in campaign speeches back in February, but believes it was appropriate for Obama to do so during Friday’s debate given the situation (McCain had just mentioned that he wears a bracelet given to him by a soldier’s mother).

With all due respect, Tracey Jopek is missing a bigger point.

For me, it’s not about whether Obama used Ms. Jopek’s son’s name for “political purposes”.

As stated yesterday on this blog, the main point should be that Obama DIDN’T know the name on the bracelet he was wearing, and had to glance down at his wrist to read it.

That speaks volumes, and it isn’t only Tracey Jopek who needed to hear the message: one of the men who is campaigning for the position of Commander-in-Chief could not even bring himself to remember the name of ONE fallen soldier that has been on a bracelet he has been wearing on his wrist for over 6 or 7 months.

BTW, if there is someone out there thinking of defending Obama by saying he’s had more important things on his mind as he has been campaigning for President over the past year or so, please spare me the histrionics. If you’re going to mention the fact that you’re wearing that bracelet in the first place, Senator Obama, THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN GETTING THAT NAME RIGHT, AND DOING SO WITHOUT NEEDING TO PEEK AT YOUR WRIST.

To do otherwise shows exactly how important (or not) Barack Obama considers all fallen soldiers in the U.S. Military, not only Sgt. Ryan Jopek.

THAT is the main point of the so-called “Bracelet Wars”.

It’s unfortunate that Ms. Jopek, her son, and the bracelet she gave to Senator Obama are at the center of this controversy; but I beg her to understand that her chosen candidate’s actions with respect to that bracelet spoke to all of us, and what it said must not be overlooked or forgotten.