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Book Tour Shows Palin
Hitting a Nerve

'Going Rogue' phenomenon may foreshadow something bigger

Nov 22, 09 2:46 PM CST
Matt Taibbi

Palin: Our First WWE Politician

Pick an asshole, any asshole, and she'll rock the house

Nov 22, 09 10:44 AM CST
ROLLICKING RHODE ISLAND

Zip It on
Communion
Ban: Bishop
to Kennedy

Tobin thinks Patrick's spiritual matters should be left private

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Once-Profitable Services
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Utilities, transport, even gambling, are now $3.5B drains

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Debt-Happy US Faces Payback Time as Rates Rise

Cost of debt to skyrocket $500B in next 10 years

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DAVID FRUM

Pundits Lie, Numbers Don't:
Women Despise Palin

Frum: So stop telling us how popular she is with 'the people'

Nov 23, 09 9:26 PM CST
First State Dinner to
Reveal Obama A-Listers

Mad scramble for invitations

Nov 23, 09 1:42 AM CST
Ethics Panel Charges Sanford With 37 Violations

Civil committee slams SC gov for travel expenses

Nov 23, 09 2:25 PM CST
editorial

NYT to Blankfein:
Your 'Apology'
Is Bull

Editorial board schools Goldman CEO in true meaning of 'sorry'

Nov 22, 09 4:53 PM CST
the big plan

Beck Will Host Conventions
to Educate America

He's shifting toward political organizer, plans big DC rally

Nov 21, 09 5:06 PM CST
Jim DeMint Becomes Hill's Top Tea Partier

South Carolina senator throws weight behind conservative insurgents

Nov 23, 09 7:47 AM CST
Congress' New
Whipping Boy:
The Fed

Bernanke & Co. run into populist ire over Wall St bailouts, unemployment

Nov 23, 09 8:54 AM CST
Palin Pulls in Big Bucks
—for Democrats

'Going Rogue' boosts Dem fundraising to new high

Nov 21, 09 6:50 AM CST

|NEXT STORY »

ANALYSIS

Should We Allow Coffin Pics?

By Neal Colgrass| Posted Feb 15, 09 4:26 PM CST|

(Newser) – President Obama is reviewing a media ban at Dover Air Force Base, where dead soldiers arrive in flag-draped coffins, but "in truth, it's not an easy issue," John Barry writes in Newsweek. There is widespread support for raising the ban "as a way of reminding the public of the cost of war." But with cameras present, families will be pressured to attend—on their own dime—when they could just invite media to hometown funerals.

Barry once witnessed the coffin delivery at Dover, an event "moving in its intimacy and restraint. I was glad there were no waiting cameras and flashbulbs." Maybe Canadians have it right, he says: They block off a major freeway to drive fallen soldiers into Toronto. The US could do the same, delivering coffins from Andrews Air Force Base to Dover. "The route could pass by the White House," writes Barry.

Honor Guard members carry the casket bearing the remains of Maj. John Pryor MD of Moorestown, New Jersey at Colestown Cemetery January 5, 2009 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. (Getty Images)

In this file photo, date unknown, flag-draped coffins of U.S .war casualties are seen on a cargo plane in Dover. (AP Photo/thememoryhole.org/file)

Master Sergeant, Francisco Navarro, from the Homestead Air Reserve base honor Guard folds an American flag in front of the four flag draped caskets on January 24, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)

A military honor guard carries the coffin of U.S. Army Sgt. Jon Stiles, 38, at the Fort Logan National Cemetery November 21, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. (Getty Images)

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31 comments

VIEWING:

riffran
Feb 15, 09 4:57 PM CST

Tough call.....I am all for the family deciding, whats best for them, , the fallen need to be honored with dignity also...as long as it isn't perverted into some media frenzy by people who care less for our soldiers, and care more for agenda....leave it up to the bereaved to decide Reply

IN RESPONSE:

bacimom
Feb 16, 09 12:07 PM CST

You said exactly what I would say.

| 0 minutes ago

Caps
Feb 15, 09 5:22 PM CST

I think the fallen soliders should be honored. Ole Georgie Boy didn't respect the fallen soilders by not allowing their draped coffins to be seen. What an a--Hole he was, and thank God he is gone. The less I hear of him the better. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Lula
Feb 15, 09 5:43 PM CST

When my child was brought back in a flag drapped coffin I was there. Not GWB or any of his cronies. His daughters were probably out driniking and partying and having a grand old time. He is the worst piece of sh-- I have ever witness as a person, must less a President. I thank God each night that he and his cronies are gone. May he never have a good night of sleep along with sneaky Cheney may they never have to say goodbye to a child. I am so thankful I do not have to listen to any more of thier lies, and look at Cheney's gay daughter and the rest of thier families, but time will heal, but not the hurt they have caused many families with thier stupidy. God bless Obama and the USA> Reply

IN RESPONSE:

0bamaBinBiden
Feb 15, 09 6:31 PM CST

This comment has been removed by Newser’s community. You must be logged in to view this comment.

IN RESPONSE:

NutsInNY
Feb 15, 09 7:59 PM CST

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH: I'm flagging this ObamaBinBiden butthole whenever I a posting with his name on it. Feel free to do the same. It's bad enough that his screen name equates our President and Vice President with the terrorists who took such a toll on our country (and my city; I witnessed 9/11), but the response to Lula above is simply beyond imaginable.

IN RESPONSE:

Newser001
Feb 16, 09 9:48 AM CST

The offending comment has been removed.

IN RESPONSE:

Lula
Feb 17, 09 12:12 PM CST

Thanks Newser001, for removing ObamaBibBiden comment. He was very disrespectful. Also thanks NutsinNY for flagging his comment.

IN RESPONSE:

BrittanyM
Feb 19, 09 2:03 PM CST

Comments should only be flagged if they are offensive. The commenter should not be a factor. Please review our commenting policy: http://www.newser.com/faqs/storiesfaq.aspx#comment

| 0 minutes ago

riffran
Feb 15, 09 6:31 PM CST

In all sincerity lula, my condolences, I cant imagine the loss your feeling, and I thank God every day that my brother and I did not have to put our parents through the same ordeal....god bless you and especially your precious child for his or her sacrifice......riff Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Lula
Feb 15, 09 6:55 PM CST

ObamaBinBiden, if your smart ass comment was refering to me you are a nut. How I wish I was 18-22 years of age. Yes this is a serious story, and I hope you never have to lose a child in war or any other way. Don't try to tell me to be respectful, I think you are the one who should be respectful. It sounds to me you are a right wing looney. My child died to protect a sorry ass person like you, so don't tell me to be respectful, you are probably like GWB, never served a day in service and was a draft dodger, so go back into your little world and dry up. Thanks riffran, time has a way of healing but all the memories are still there. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Caps
Feb 15, 09 7:18 PM CST

Lula, I am so sorry for your lost. I think ObamaBinBiden owes you an apology. He is just an ugly person to the core. May God be with you during this time. I don't know how long this has been but I can't imagine losing a son or daughter and carzies like OBB are to be overlooked, they are not very bright and thier elevators don't go all the way to the top.

IN RESPONSE:

NutsInNY
Feb 15, 09 8:03 PM CST

Lula, best wishes to you. I'm so sorry. And I wouldn't feel right if I didn't say thank you.

| 0 minutes ago

Von
Feb 15, 09 9:51 PM CST

when my son was dployed the first time, I was scared to death, and then the Sheehan women had her say on things and I remember so many of the soilders saying she was dis-honoring her son, My son told me if he did not come home " don't dare blame our president or our country" He is now getting ready for his 3rd tour, I have 2 neices and 2 grand daughters in the military also, and tho I am scared I am also proud of them all, they did not ,as we tried to tell Ciny Sheehan thay did not have to go they went on their own, Our country and our president did not force them to go. My son has been military since he was 17 and he had never seen any thing like 9-11. I believe our military men and women deserve a whole lot more than what is given to them, when they come home what do they get? not much. when they come home in a coffin what do they or their families get, nothing that will ever re place them. They are not honored enough any way shape or form, and it's time America starts being thankful to those who all, remember only two ppl ever died for you "one died for your freedom, the other died for your soul, and neither one is thanked or honored. JMO Reply

IN RESPONSE:

0bamaBinBiden
Feb 15, 09 11:00 PM CST

This comment has been removed by Newser’s community. You must be logged in to view this comment.

| 0 minutes ago

LeftMiddleRight
Feb 16, 09 2:39 AM CST

ObamaBin...if you're wrong, you lost most of your street cred and hurt some people. If you're right, you hurt some people. What was the point? To prove how incredibly perceptive you are. Or how incredibly cold you can be? Lula, I'm sorry for your loss. And respect your views and anger towards Bush and his unjust war. Our soldiers should be respected whether or not they're fighting in a just war or an unjust war. It's the commander in chief that sends them off to war. It's the commander and chief that is responsible for their lives and the war that they get into....not the soldier... War Veterans. A high percentage of the homeless are war veterans. They come back from war physically and mentally disabled after fighting for this country and end up out of work and under our bridges because the war experience has ruined them for life. Then they get trashed by the people who just don't get it. We praised them when they were our son's at West Point. We praised them at their graduation. We praised them when they went to war. We praised them when they came back missing their arms and legs, and their mental health was suspect. We praised and mourned them when they came back in body bags. But when they can no longer function in society because of the HELL that they went through fighting for this country with their brothers and sisters at their sides, we scorn them. We belittle them. We mock them. Some of us even Hate them. What should we do in a great country? HELP THEM! Help them for the rest of their lives because they risked their lives for ours. Help them for the rest of their lives to show them we're not just about saluting the young in uniform. We're also about helping you when you're worn and tattered. When you have other things on and in your mind like flashbacks, pictures in your head that you still react to because they were so incomprehensible, so devastating, disfiguring, so unfair. We hear a sound and go on with our lives. They hear a sound and relive the horror of war over and over and over and over...again. It never stops. Who are we? Why are some of us so mean? Why do some of us care? We are not all alike. And we will never be all alike. Some of us have open minds. Some minds are sealed shut. Some of us have big hearts. Some of us do not. To the soldiers getting ready for battle, to the soldiers lost in battle, to the soldiers who come back and make a positive difference in the world, and to the soldiers who are forgotten, I salute you.....We need to see their coffins to know that they were real, to know that they mattered, and still matter. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

moonwalker
Feb 16, 09 3:52 AM CST

"Should We Allow Coffin Pics?" Do you mean for our children to see or adults? Come on, we are involved in a mutual action of murder. Our brave sodilers have lost their lives and we can not give them the respect of seeing thier war torn bodies come home? These men went to war becuase Bush is a selfish pos. They did not die for that. Most men in this war died to protect their brothers. The coffins need to be shown so we don't act like war is a story book. It is real. None of these men die in vein. The war was started the in vein greed of robber barrons. Come on everyone. Let's make this right. It's gonna' take ALL of us. Not politicians. It is us as a people. F@#$ waiting for them. I believe the American people are inherently good, no matter what party we belong to. We are the force of change...period. The only reason the parties are in control is becuase we are to busy working to make rent/mortgage. This is the United States of America and we know damn well what that means. Principle before party. The world loves us (or at least they used to) and we need to prove that we are keeping the spirit of progress and prosperity alive. Research the issues on your own. Don't just listen to the radio or blogs. Although they provide valuable insight, they cannot provide all of the facts. Everyone...Keep moving. I'm young (25) I want to bring our reputation back to the days of old. Not our mistakes or misfortunes, but our success, inspiration and prosperity. I know we can all do it. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

moonwalker
Feb 16, 09 4:59 AM CST

" don't dare blame our president or our country" What? President Bush preemptively started a war. It is his fault that our family and friends died. If we really were worried about Saddam we would have used the CIA to assassination him, and disbanded his army from there. Come on. I feel bad for our soldiers because the are not allowed to question the authority of the commander in chief. So what about President Obama. Now that he is president are you going to say that he is to blame if he brings your son home? Are you gonna say that we did not win the war? If so, you better explain what war we are fighting becuase the war in Iraq has admittedly nothing to do with 9/11 according to President Bush. Sure, Iraq had a shitty brutal government, but look at the other countries around the world that are more dangerous and pose a bigger danger to us. We went there for other motives, and at this point if you don't know that you need to go to start researching the public government files that will straight up tell you the information you don't want to hear. Wake the fuck up. I mean no disrespect. My cousin was killed in Iraq and I have friends that have come home that are fucked in the head. I love them so much and I don't blame them for their trauma. I blame the Bush administration. Who else are we to blame? The terrorists? The terrorists didn't kill my cousin. Civilians in Iraq did. Why did they? Well... I think of it like this...Imagine if we had a terrible president in this country which had weapons of mass destruction, which we obviously do, and China said to the U.N "We believe that the United States has weapons of mass destruction and we are afraid that they will use them against us and we will do what it takes to stop them" and the U.N says "Sorry we don't think this threat is as serious as you are claiming" and China says "Well, either your with us or against us" to the world. Then, they come and invade our country to remove our president and military becuase we pose a serious threat to the world. Then they build many military bases in our country and patrol our streets killing anyone they think is a "terrorist" which we call "insurgents" in Iraq. The civilians in Iraq are obviously going to fight against us becuase we invaded their country and are roaming there streets without the knowledge of their culture. That brings me back to China invading our country. If they invaded our country becuase we had weapons of mass destruction would we let them roam and police our streets? Hell no. We would naturally group together to fight against them. In Iraq we consider that an insurgency... Yes we got rid of Saddam...Several years ago! Why are we still there? It's all a bunch of bullshit and most people know it. People need to stop being fucking stupid. I love and respect our military, but the danger our politicians have put them in I do not respect. I will always support the troops, but I will not support violence as a way of making the world a better place. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Lula
Feb 16, 09 9:27 AM CST

moonwalker,you are correct in your statement. Such a person as OBB sounds like he is ,he should be in Iraq. I bet he would feel different. But like I stated before he is probably like his beloved GWB was---a draft dodger. Also thanks Caps, NutsinNY, riffian, and LeftMiddleRight. Time has a way of healing,but the pain never goes away. I pray for all the Mothers and Fathers, that have a Child in service that they never have to go through losing a child, who are protecting a sorry ass such as OBB. God Bless Obama and the USA.

| 0 minutes ago

vendetta
Feb 16, 09 7:02 AM CST

We should see them, to remind us of the cost of a lie. The cost of a unjust war. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Von
Feb 16, 09 1:00 PM CST

Well if you ppl think Obama is so great, I really feel sorry for you, meet me back here in a few more months and tell me you think of him as the savior of this world, now thats B.S. He is not gonna do any thing for you, Just watch how the cards fall, You know they say the "snakes crawl at night" You have a very rude and cold awakening coming Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Lula
Feb 16, 09 3:35 PM CST

Von, we don't need your sympathy now, we have a President with BRAINS. You should have felt sorry for us when GWB was in with OUT ANY BRAINS.

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Feb 17, 09 6:12 AM CST

We already had our cold awakening. It was called the congressional election of 2006 and the congressional/presidential election of 2008. Now it's time for you to wake up.

| 0 minutes ago

LeftMiddleRight
Feb 16, 09 1:36 PM CST

Von, you're giving him only a few more months...You give up too easily. And the snake reference...THE SNAKES CRAWL AT NIGHT by CHARLEY PRIDE (a black country singer). It's good to see that at least you're not a racist. Keep your head up Von, the republicans let a lot of people down. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Von
Feb 16, 09 10:59 PM CST

Yeah you sure are right about the republicians letting us down, all of the government has let us down, they have dis-graced our country, The leadership in this country is a sorry excuse for leadership, Giving the government power over our money and laws is like giving whisky and car keys to a 16 yr old, only I would trust the 16 yr old futher, I did not mean for you all to get your panties in a wad over what I said about not blaming the president, what I meant was my son went in on his own, no one forced him under a draft lie his father and uncles were, Speaking of a great president when was the last time we had a good one, forget great, how about honest, it sure the hell wasn't Clinton and I think we will find Obama will let you down to, first of all the people need to take back this country and get honest politicians in office, (as soon as some grow up and can run for office) b/c frankly I don't see where we have an ounce of good genuine honesty in our leadership, it's all about who can spin the bottle the longest, Simply put altho it's the best there is bar none, "our government stinks, there are more crooks in the white house and government offices than we have in prison, Talk about brains, no I don't think it's the brains I think he had a nice smile and a quick tongue, we'll see tho, 4 years will go bye , and we'll see how wonderful he has done by then. God Help us all in the mean time. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

absentee
Feb 16, 09 11:17 PM CST

Left-wing ghouls are pressuring to view the dead to serve their own political agenda. People pushing under this lie of a premise about remember the cost of war are despicable, ghoulish monsters who should be ashamed. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Feb 17, 09 6:14 AM CST

And right wing ghouls hid the coffins away lest the non-sacrificing public become aware that people were actually getting killed for a war of choice against an enemy that had not attacked us.

| 0 minutes ago

LeftMiddleRight
Feb 16, 09 11:37 PM CST

Von, they're all corrupt. The trick is to vote for the one that owes favors to the right people for getting them elected. What I mean by the "right" people is, the people who will receive favors that will in turn benefit us. Or at least hurt us less. Find out who backed the candidate. If you like his (or her) backers, then vote for them, and hope for the best. We put an oil family (twice) and a haliburton guy in the White House...and look what happened...yea you're right, the country needs help...also, Obama is like no other President we've ever had. He sees the world differently. He has too. He also has to be smarter than most to get to where he is now. I think he's been around and in politics enough to recognize what's going on and what people are after. That being said, I think he's fresh enough to do things differently, and secure enough to accept good ideas from anywhere. These are tough times, and I think we have the right person for the job (look who was running). I don't know if I'll be right, but I hope I am. I also don't know if you'll be right, but we will both find out fairly soon. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

LeftMiddleRight
Feb 17, 09 12:03 AM CST

absentee, hide the dead and the war will last longer. Show them and the war won't last as long. But the fallen should be seen respectfully i.e., one designated photographer snapping the right amount (?) of pictures (5, 10, 20) to document our soldiers coming home. It's important to know what the cost of war is. If we all have the opportunity to see this part of war, we also should have the choice not to look. This can be, and should be done the right way. Give the military families a big say in how this should be done...Hide the hungry so I don't know they exist. Hide them, and they may never be fed. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

LeftMiddleRight
Feb 17, 09 12:18 AM CST

moonwalker, good stuff. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Von
Feb 17, 09 7:13 PM CST

LeftmiddleRight, absentee,as my mother would have said "out of sight, out of mind" I say you are rihjt , it should be left up to the families, If I can stand there on the street or at the airport and send my son off, then I'll stand there and honor him coming home on his feet or his coffin.It seems like if the military is not ashamed to send them off then they should be fuuly dressed out to bring them back.My son will be leaving again soon and I know my heart will break again but I will be faithful and I will continue to pray for all our sons and daughters... and our leadership, As Dad always said even tho it's troubled(leadership) and has plenty of flaws, it's still the best in the world. Thats America. You know the song "God Bless America again, wash her pretty face, dry her eyes and then, God Bless America again. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 31 comments »

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Found in Afghan River

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