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Larry Downing / Reuters
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet military personnel and their families as they walk into Anderson Hall base chow hall at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, in Kaneohe Bay, Dec 25.
KANEHOE, HAWAII – President Obama spent part of his last full day in Hawaii participating in an annual tradition for his wife Michelle and him: greeting Marines at the base near his vacation home here.
The president will return to Washington D.C. early Thursday morning, the White House announced, as the Senate returns to session to work on a way forward on avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff.
But his attention was far from tax hikes and spending cuts as he and the first lady slipped around a corner of the Anderson mess hall at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to greet military families as they ate an early Christmas dinner.
In short remarks, Obama, dressed casually in a blue button-down shirt and khakis, thanked the service members and their families – mostly Marines, but some Army and Navy as well - for enduring the challenges of military life.
“Not only do those in uniform make sacrifices but I think everybody understands the sacrifices that families make each and every day as well,” he said.
The president also noted that the country is “still in a wartime footing,” even as the troop drawdown in Afghanistan, slated to conclude in 2014, continues.
“Some of you may have loved ones who are deployed there; some of you may be about to be deployed there,” he said. “So we want you to know that it’s not easy. But what we also want you to know is that you have the entire country aligned with you.”
After his remarks, the president and first lady disappeared behind the mess hall walls, where they posed for pictures with troops.
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As a Marine, I would have gotten up and left when that idiot entered the mess hall. I love my nation and would die defending it, but he is the worst POS to ever enter into the White House. Just more grandstanding after the election by an egomaniac. Impress us all obama, show some actual leadership skills by not vacationing and instead do what 51% of the people elected you to do: lead this nation.
You act like no marine I know mister. The President is your commanding officer, act like it!!
That's easy to say for The LIAR in Chief, seeing that HE has NEVER been in the Military !!!
Tom, is there a point somewhere in post?
Reads non sequiter to me.
U.S. service personnel provide proper military courtesy to the president-- they are required to so. However these Marines didn't look very respectful. At least they didn't boo Obama like they did Joe Biden at the Army-Navy game.
Our President visits our troops at Christmas, while on holidays and all you war mongering, Republi-cons can do is find fault. I am grateful for our troops and grateful that we have a President that cares about or troops. Why would any patriotic American find fault with that? Turn off the hate Republi-cons. Your anti-American drivel has gotten tired.
He has ended one unnecessary war started by Republi-con lies and is winding down another. He is working hard to bring back the economy that you Republi-cons crashed through your greed and ignorance. American is awake now, we know which party is for American and which party continues to fight progress for the American people for profits to their slave masters. Your stupidity lowered our debt rating, now your stupidity could put us back into a recession. Even though this hurts all Americans. Your hate and disrespect for our President and the office is pathetic. The only logical reason for this is because he is a half black man. You were willing to vote for the lying empty suit Mitt the twitt, not because he was qualified but because he was white, even though he was going to continue the same insane policies that got the world into mess that this President so skillfully got us out of. How much further ahead would all Americans be if we had a congress that cared and worked for the American people?
The only solution to this is for the American people to replace the congress of NO IDEAS, enough is enough. America is still waiting for a jobs bill to be passed while the party of NO IDEAS spit on the American people.
Wake up American, a lot of these CONS call themselves christians, hypocrites!
Happy holidays and may God bless our brave troops and our great President.
That POS ass does not want to meet this Marine.
Philly, seriously... In my day no Marine would've said that out loud in any barracks anywhere.
Of course, he's anonymous in here so I guess protocol, obligation and class aren't necessary.
is that the first lady or did patrick ewing shave off his mustache?
Uncle, very classy.
Who do you give credit for that behavior?
That's one day I would have reported to sick call. I definitely do not want to see a commander-in-chief that is ruining our nations economy which in turns harms our nation security. This guy is worse than Carter and still got re-elected. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Hey Navy, care to tell us how he's doing that or do you just enjoy a good pig pile?
We can start with $6 trillion added to our debt and go from there.
At some point people are going to have to acknowledge that Obama although he won, is no more popular than was Bush. Like Bush less than half of this country voted for him. He is my President and I hope he will lead, and wish him well. But he has no more mandate than did Bush. Alsobe real, he is not that good at diplomacy or we would not be in to the fifth year of very little getting done and still blaming the minority party, like they are actually the ones in charge. I guess if the GOP can out smart the majority of power for eight years they served that 49% that put them there,
and they must be way smarter than those they oppose.