Both candidates have been invited to participate in a town hall near Fort Hood, Texas, to engage in a dialogue with veterans and military families about the future of our Armed Forces, our veterans’ support system, and our country. To date, Senator Obama has declined to attend.
There are many ironies and tragedies in this story.
If Senator Obama does not deign to attend, the event will not occur, and thus the organizers’ vision of helping the American public realize the breadth and depth of the issues facing veterans, wounded warriors, and military families will go unrealized. This is the man who is asking to be elected the next Commander-in-Chief (during a time of war, no less) and at whose direction many people in this audience will sacrifice their time, their family, their health, their happiness, and, possibly, their lives. Yet some other engagement is more pressing than explaining his positions on how he plans to lead them while they serve and care for them when they finish.
To Obama’s advisors, this is just invitation to another event. But it isn’t. It is a nationally broadcast, live town hall with McCain that Americans would actually watch, thus raising awareness about veterans and military families in crisis and the consequences that their unmet needs have for all of us—as taxpayers, as citizens, and as beneficiaries of an all volunteer military force.
Where is the media? Where is the outrage? For eight years, the media has failed to hold the President accountable for his obstinance, arrogance, and insensitivity. Despite two wars, trillions of dollars of debt, hundreds of thousands of wounded, and thousands more dead, it appears that this trend is going to continue: different chapter, same book.
Yes, McCain was a POW, but Fort Hood is a widow maker. I don’t think the audience is going to be as pro-McCain as his handlers think it will be. I know, I live here.
I urge you to contact Obama’s campaign and tell him he has to accept this invitation to the Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall. If there is one more debate or town hall before November, shouldn’t it be before an audience composed of the men and women whose service and sacrifice allow these events to occur? (The press release is on the Veterans for Common Sense website and the Military Spouses for Change website.)
Blue Star Wife
Fort Hood, TX
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Obama throws CBS' town hall debate into doubt
July 15, 2008
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS News' unlucky streak when it comes to scheduling primary debates may be continuing into the general election.
The network tentatively agreed to produce and air on Monday, Aug. 11, a televised town hall meeting in primetime between GOP candidate John McCain and his Democratic rival, Barack Obama. But there's only one problem: Obama hasn't committed, citing scheduling issues. That has thrown into doubt the whole thing.
The McCain campaign has readily agreed to appear at the forum on military and veterans issues sponsored by a number of organizations, but that's not going to be enough to allow CBS to televise it. Both candidates would have to participate for the network to carry it.
And the organizers -- a group of national organizations that help active-duty military, veterans and the survivors of military personnel killed -- say they want to hear from both candidates, not just one.
"The important thing for us is that this happens, and that there's this focus on military and veterans and their families and the legacy of war," said Amy Fairweather of the San Francisco-based Swords to Plowshares, one of the organizers. "If that means that things have to be changed as far as the date or logistics or the format or anything like that, that's absolutely fine."
CBS News said on Monday there was nothing new to report on the issue. It isn't clear whether
CBS will be able to clear a space on another night if both candidates are able to agree. The 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium was to be held at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Texas, near the army base.
The network had been approached by the organizers of the forum to see if it was interested in carrying it live in primetime. The network responded that it would and cleared the primetime for that night.
CBS was the only network news division that was unable to assemble a debate of presidential candidates during this primary season. It tried several times but couldn't air a December Democratic debate in Los Angeles because of the Hollywood writers strike, and one earlier this year in North Carolina was scrapped after Obama wouldn't agree to the day scheduled.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25684201/
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS News' unlucky streak when it comes to scheduling primary debates may be continuing into the general election.
The network tentatively agreed to produce and air on Monday, Aug. 11, a televised town hall meeting in primetime between GOP candidate John McCain and his Democratic rival, Barack Obama. But there's only one problem: Obama hasn't committed, citing scheduling issues. That has thrown into doubt the whole thing.
The McCain campaign has readily agreed to appear at the forum on military and veterans issues sponsored by a number of organizations, but that's not going to be enough to allow CBS to televise it. Both candidates would have to participate for the network to carry it.
And the organizers -- a group of national organizations that help active-duty military, veterans and the survivors of military personnel killed -- say they want to hear from both candidates, not just one.
"The important thing for us is that this happens, and that there's this focus on military and veterans and their families and the legacy of war," said Amy Fairweather of the San Francisco-based Swords to Plowshares, one of the organizers. "If that means that things have to be changed as far as the date or logistics or the format or anything like that, that's absolutely fine."
CBS News said on Monday there was nothing new to report on the issue. It isn't clear whether
CBS will be able to clear a space on another night if both candidates are able to agree. The 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium was to be held at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Texas, near the army base.
The network had been approached by the organizers of the forum to see if it was interested in carrying it live in primetime. The network responded that it would and cleared the primetime for that night.
CBS was the only network news division that was unable to assemble a debate of presidential candidates during this primary season. It tried several times but couldn't air a December Democratic debate in Los Angeles because of the Hollywood writers strike, and one earlier this year in North Carolina was scrapped after Obama wouldn't agree to the day scheduled.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25684201/
FOX NEWS: Obama Rejects Military Town Hall Meeting
Thursday , July 17, 2008
This is a rush transcript from "America's Election HQ," July 16, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
HEATHER NAUERT, CO-HOST: A group of military and veterans advocates is putting on a major town hall meeting for the candidates right near one of the largest U.S. military posts in the world, Fort Hood, Texas. John McCain says he's in for the August 11 match-up which is supposed to be aired on CBS in front of nearly 6,000 military families who would be in the audience. But Barack Obama says that he won't be able to make it because of a scheduling conflict.
With me now on the phone is the manager of the event. Her name is Clarissa Pickard and her husband is a member of the U.S. Army. He is currently deployed in Iraq. Clarissa, thanks a lot for joining us.
So when you reached out to these candidates and asked them to show up for this town hall meeting, what did you say to them about why it was important that the candidates show up there?
CLARISSA PICKARD, PRESIDENT, MILITARY SPOUSES FOR CHANGE (on the phone): Well, we felt that this was just incredibly timely, given that we have engaged and used our forces for six years and it doesn't look like that's going to change at any time soon. So we have put tremendous hardships on our military families, and we have asked them to make tremendous sacrifices. And they've come back with a variety of wounds, physical and emotional, mental, and we felt that there needed to be a conversation with the candidates, and with these families about what they felt this country should be doing about those wounds and for these families - to support these families and what they were going to do with the military.
• Video: Watch the interview
NAUERT: OK. Now, tell me this story. I understand that John McCain agreed to this. It was supposed to happen on August the 11th. CBS Network agreed to broadcast the entire thing. But what's the story with Obama?
PICKARD: You know, Obama - you know, we tried to - before we went public, we tried to get them to commit to doing the event. We asked them for alternate dates, and there -
NAUERT: So you tried to give them dates and they have not been able to commit to anything. But have they given a definitive no?
PICKARD: No, not necessarily.
NAUERT: OK. But they haven't yet committed to anything despite the fact that John McCain has. So what would you want to say to the Obama folks if they're listening tonight about how you feel about them not committing to anything just yet?
PICKARD: I think that it is doing a bit of a disservice to his own campaign, because there are just many veterans that support him and service members who support him and believe that he would do very, very well in this format. And I believe it's doing a disservice to the veterans and military families who would like the American public to watch this event and see these issues be discussed.
NAUERT: All right. Clarissa Pickard, I appreciate you joining us tonight. Best of luck to you in your endeavors in trying to get this town hall meeting put together, and we appreciate your husband's service to our country. Thank you so much.
PICKARD: Thank you.
This is a rush transcript from "America's Election HQ," July 16, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
HEATHER NAUERT, CO-HOST: A group of military and veterans advocates is putting on a major town hall meeting for the candidates right near one of the largest U.S. military posts in the world, Fort Hood, Texas. John McCain says he's in for the August 11 match-up which is supposed to be aired on CBS in front of nearly 6,000 military families who would be in the audience. But Barack Obama says that he won't be able to make it because of a scheduling conflict.
With me now on the phone is the manager of the event. Her name is Clarissa Pickard and her husband is a member of the U.S. Army. He is currently deployed in Iraq. Clarissa, thanks a lot for joining us.
So when you reached out to these candidates and asked them to show up for this town hall meeting, what did you say to them about why it was important that the candidates show up there?
CLARISSA PICKARD, PRESIDENT, MILITARY SPOUSES FOR CHANGE (on the phone): Well, we felt that this was just incredibly timely, given that we have engaged and used our forces for six years and it doesn't look like that's going to change at any time soon. So we have put tremendous hardships on our military families, and we have asked them to make tremendous sacrifices. And they've come back with a variety of wounds, physical and emotional, mental, and we felt that there needed to be a conversation with the candidates, and with these families about what they felt this country should be doing about those wounds and for these families - to support these families and what they were going to do with the military.
• Video: Watch the interview
NAUERT: OK. Now, tell me this story. I understand that John McCain agreed to this. It was supposed to happen on August the 11th. CBS Network agreed to broadcast the entire thing. But what's the story with Obama?
PICKARD: You know, Obama - you know, we tried to - before we went public, we tried to get them to commit to doing the event. We asked them for alternate dates, and there -
NAUERT: So you tried to give them dates and they have not been able to commit to anything. But have they given a definitive no?
PICKARD: No, not necessarily.
NAUERT: OK. But they haven't yet committed to anything despite the fact that John McCain has. So what would you want to say to the Obama folks if they're listening tonight about how you feel about them not committing to anything just yet?
PICKARD: I think that it is doing a bit of a disservice to his own campaign, because there are just many veterans that support him and service members who support him and believe that he would do very, very well in this format. And I believe it's doing a disservice to the veterans and military families who would like the American public to watch this event and see these issues be discussed.
NAUERT: All right. Clarissa Pickard, I appreciate you joining us tonight. Best of luck to you in your endeavors in trying to get this town hall meeting put together, and we appreciate your husband's service to our country. Thank you so much.
PICKARD: Thank you.
Open Letter to Senator Obama from Supporter and Vietnam Veteran
Senator Obama:
On August 11 of this year the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium is planning to host a non-partisan town hall event and while John McCain has agreed to participate in this televised event, you have not committed to participate.
As a committed Barack Obama supporter, and a Viet Nam era veteran, I implore you and your campaign staff and advisers to reconsider your decision to decline to participate in the non-partisan, town hall forum, to be presented by the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium on August 11. I don’t know the reasons why you are declining to participate in this event, but I can assure you, that despite the fact that this event would occur in a military community with a majority in-house military audience, politically speaking, the audience will encompass a broad spectrum of political ideologies, however, my understanding is that the primary “mission” of the town hall forum is not political debate, but discussion that would lead to greater awareness of the health and welfare issues facing those who serve in our military forces, and an opportunity for each candidate to outline his strategic plans in this regard.
I know that you, Senator Obama was a sponsor of S.1817 and are concerned about the care and support our country is providing to those who have volunteered to serve our nation, and by participating in this forum you can further demonstrate your commitment to be a future commander-in-chief that will exercise compassion and good judgment in your management of our military forces, and your support of those who have served in the past.
From your speech on July 15, it is apparent that if you are elected president, you will move to end the folly of our engagement in Iraq, but will also reinforce our military presence in Afghanistan, for obvious, and logical reasons. It is only logical then, that Senator Obama, in the short time leading up to the national elections and the sitting of a new administration in 2009, you would be open and amendable to hearing directly from those Americans who will be serving at under your command, on critical, dangerous missions.
If your staff has lost your invitation to this important discussion, you can make contact here for the details: www.militaryspousesforchange.com
Open Letter to Senator Obama from IVAW Active Duty Soldier
An Open Letter to Senator Barack Obama
by Ronn Cantu Mon, 07/14/2008 - 7:48pm
Dear Senator Obama,
My name is Ronn Cantu and I'm a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. I'm assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division and stationed at Fort Hood, TX.
I would like to begin this letter by thanking you for your recent vote in favor of updating the GI Bill. Education benefits such as this will ensure that today's members of the Armed Forces become tomorrow's professional and productive members of society.
I would also like to thank you for voting to increase the funding for health-care-related issues, and for ensuring that said funding takes into account the veteran population and current level of inflation. Despite these bills being rejected, it's good to see some of our elected officials fighting to get our nation's wounded the care that they deserve.
I read an article in the July 12 edition of the New York Times titled "Obama Won't Commit to Event at Military Base." The article confused me, because in a recent Army Times article titled "If Obama Wins," you were quoted as saying "Precisely because I have not served in uniform, I am somebody who strongly believes I have to earn the trust of men and women in uniform."
The NY Times article mentioned, and it bears repeating, that Fort Hood is the largest active-duty military installation in the country. Our post is so large and our commitment to Iraq so great that the Killeen Daily Herald published an article on July 13, 2008 about our sister division titled "4th ID Association Looking to Expand Soldier Memorial."
Since speaking out against the war, I've had to take great precautions to ensure that I'm never perceived to be speaking on behalf of the United States Army nor the Armed Services as a whole, so I hope this letter isn't perceived as such. But I have to say that I think it would be a huge step toward earning the trust of men and women in uniform if you and your campaign work with Carissa Picard and the Presidential Town Hall Consortium, and commit to appearing at this meeting the way Senator McCain has.
In this particular election season, and with the Global War on Terror arguably the most polarizing issue facing our country, it would mean a lot to the veterans of our country if you give us the respect that we deserve and fought dearly to earn.
Thank you for your time.
Ronn Cantu
by Ronn Cantu Mon, 07/14/2008 - 7:48pm
Dear Senator Obama,
My name is Ronn Cantu and I'm a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. I'm assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division and stationed at Fort Hood, TX.
I would like to begin this letter by thanking you for your recent vote in favor of updating the GI Bill. Education benefits such as this will ensure that today's members of the Armed Forces become tomorrow's professional and productive members of society.
I would also like to thank you for voting to increase the funding for health-care-related issues, and for ensuring that said funding takes into account the veteran population and current level of inflation. Despite these bills being rejected, it's good to see some of our elected officials fighting to get our nation's wounded the care that they deserve.
I read an article in the July 12 edition of the New York Times titled "Obama Won't Commit to Event at Military Base." The article confused me, because in a recent Army Times article titled "If Obama Wins," you were quoted as saying "Precisely because I have not served in uniform, I am somebody who strongly believes I have to earn the trust of men and women in uniform."
The NY Times article mentioned, and it bears repeating, that Fort Hood is the largest active-duty military installation in the country. Our post is so large and our commitment to Iraq so great that the Killeen Daily Herald published an article on July 13, 2008 about our sister division titled "4th ID Association Looking to Expand Soldier Memorial."
Since speaking out against the war, I've had to take great precautions to ensure that I'm never perceived to be speaking on behalf of the United States Army nor the Armed Services as a whole, so I hope this letter isn't perceived as such. But I have to say that I think it would be a huge step toward earning the trust of men and women in uniform if you and your campaign work with Carissa Picard and the Presidential Town Hall Consortium, and commit to appearing at this meeting the way Senator McCain has.
In this particular election season, and with the Global War on Terror arguably the most polarizing issue facing our country, it would mean a lot to the veterans of our country if you give us the respect that we deserve and fought dearly to earn.
Thank you for your time.
Ronn Cantu
"Bell Vets Want Q and A with Candidates"
Temple Daily Telegram
Temple, Texas
by Tanya Cooper
Published July 13, 2008
If you had access to the bookings calendar of the Bell County Expo Center and turned the pages to Aug. 11, you might read something like this: McCain and Obama need seating for about 6,000. In reality, the booking has been penciled in, with staff awaiting confirmation of a town hall forum put on by a consortium of military groups.
The consortium’s managing director and spokeswoman, Carissa Picard, is excited that Sen. John McCain has accepted the invitation to speak at the forum, and holds out hope Sen. Barack Obama will do the same.
The gathering would give military men and women, their families and their communities the chance to get some questions answered, Picard said.
“CBS has agreed to broadcast the meeting live to the nation on Monday, Aug. 11,” she said.
“We believe this needs to happen. We have questions that millions of Americans want answered.
“Millions of Americans will be affected if our troops don’t get the care that they need when returning from active duty. It’s not just soldiers that will suffer if they don’t receive better care when they come back. It’s their friends, their families, it’s society in general.”
Picard believes that by getting these questions answered by the presumptive candidates Americans will be offered a better chance of knowing who to vote for in November.
“Fort Hood is not just Texas, it’s made up of people from all over the country. Fort Hood is a base that houses people from all over this country and after this war many will return to their home states,” she said.
One glitch is the fact that Obama has not committed to a meeting.
“We started organizing this in early June and gave some possible dates,” Picard said. “The Democratic Party will not commit though. We have asked to suggest a possible date and have yet to get an answer.”
The consortium has not lost hope that he will accept an invitation in the future.
“The people of Fort Hood are not just returned servicemen in Bell County,” said Sam Murphey, Democrat candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, Dist. 55. “These people are our friends and our neighbors. They need answers and the rest of America deserves answers to questions the military has to ask. Fort Hood is the largest operating military establishment in the free world.
“I would be happy to urge Sen. Obama to come here,” said Murphey, who is a Vietnam veteran.
Ralph Sheffield, Republican candidate for the same Dist. 55 seat, said, “I think it’s a fantastic deal. I think it would be great to see McCain here in our backyard.”
Sheffield said he thinks it would be a good forum for the general public to see the differences between the Republicans and Democrats and where they stand on the war.
Picard is not only the spokesman for the consortium of veterans groups but is a military wife whose husband is serving in Iraq. She wants the opportunity to ask questions of the person who will lead the country.
“The men that serve our country and their families and friends need to know what is going to happen. So often we dismiss the military with a ‘they signed up for it,’ mentality,” she said.
“They did sign up for the military but their family members didn’t and they deserve to know that if anything happens to their loved ones that they will be cared for. Society should want that, too, because when these men and women return they are put back in society. They become our community again.
“These are the men and the women who will go and will leave their families and risk losing their families. That will put their physical and mental health at risk at the direction of either one of these men. They should honor these soldiers by showing up and answering their questions,” Picard said.
“There are so many unanswered questions here. There needs to be a dialogue here. It’s such an important conversation to have.”
Picard stresses that this is to be a town-hall gathering - not a debate. “We don’t want this to be an attack on either candidate,” she said. “We just want answers for Americans.”
Copyright © 2008, Temple Daily Telegram
Temple, Texas
by Tanya Cooper
Published July 13, 2008
If you had access to the bookings calendar of the Bell County Expo Center and turned the pages to Aug. 11, you might read something like this: McCain and Obama need seating for about 6,000. In reality, the booking has been penciled in, with staff awaiting confirmation of a town hall forum put on by a consortium of military groups.
The consortium’s managing director and spokeswoman, Carissa Picard, is excited that Sen. John McCain has accepted the invitation to speak at the forum, and holds out hope Sen. Barack Obama will do the same.
The gathering would give military men and women, their families and their communities the chance to get some questions answered, Picard said.
“CBS has agreed to broadcast the meeting live to the nation on Monday, Aug. 11,” she said.
“We believe this needs to happen. We have questions that millions of Americans want answered.
“Millions of Americans will be affected if our troops don’t get the care that they need when returning from active duty. It’s not just soldiers that will suffer if they don’t receive better care when they come back. It’s their friends, their families, it’s society in general.”
Picard believes that by getting these questions answered by the presumptive candidates Americans will be offered a better chance of knowing who to vote for in November.
“Fort Hood is not just Texas, it’s made up of people from all over the country. Fort Hood is a base that houses people from all over this country and after this war many will return to their home states,” she said.
One glitch is the fact that Obama has not committed to a meeting.
“We started organizing this in early June and gave some possible dates,” Picard said. “The Democratic Party will not commit though. We have asked to suggest a possible date and have yet to get an answer.”
The consortium has not lost hope that he will accept an invitation in the future.
“The people of Fort Hood are not just returned servicemen in Bell County,” said Sam Murphey, Democrat candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, Dist. 55. “These people are our friends and our neighbors. They need answers and the rest of America deserves answers to questions the military has to ask. Fort Hood is the largest operating military establishment in the free world.
“I would be happy to urge Sen. Obama to come here,” said Murphey, who is a Vietnam veteran.
Ralph Sheffield, Republican candidate for the same Dist. 55 seat, said, “I think it’s a fantastic deal. I think it would be great to see McCain here in our backyard.”
Sheffield said he thinks it would be a good forum for the general public to see the differences between the Republicans and Democrats and where they stand on the war.
Picard is not only the spokesman for the consortium of veterans groups but is a military wife whose husband is serving in Iraq. She wants the opportunity to ask questions of the person who will lead the country.
“The men that serve our country and their families and friends need to know what is going to happen. So often we dismiss the military with a ‘they signed up for it,’ mentality,” she said.
“They did sign up for the military but their family members didn’t and they deserve to know that if anything happens to their loved ones that they will be cared for. Society should want that, too, because when these men and women return they are put back in society. They become our community again.
“These are the men and the women who will go and will leave their families and risk losing their families. That will put their physical and mental health at risk at the direction of either one of these men. They should honor these soldiers by showing up and answering their questions,” Picard said.
“There are so many unanswered questions here. There needs to be a dialogue here. It’s such an important conversation to have.”
Picard stresses that this is to be a town-hall gathering - not a debate. “We don’t want this to be an attack on either candidate,” she said. “We just want answers for Americans.”
Copyright © 2008, Temple Daily Telegram
NYT: "Obama Won't Commit to Event at Military Base"
Published in the New York Times on July 12, 2008.
By KATE ZERNIKE
A coalition of military groups is planning a nationally televised town-hall-style meeting with the presidential candidates near Fort Hood, Tex., the largest active-duty military installation in the country. But so far, only Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, has agreed to attend.
CBS has agreed to broadcast the meeting live from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, Aug. 11. The candidates would face questions directly from an audience of 6,000 people, made up of veterans, service members and military families from the base.
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has not agreed to participate.
“Senator Obama strongly supports America’s veterans and military families and has worked hard on their behalf in the Senate,” said Phillip Carter, director of Mr. Obama’s veterans effort and an Iraq war veteran. “While we unfortunately had a previously scheduled commitment on the date proposed, Senator Obama looks forward to continuing the dialogue he’s been having throughout the country with veterans on how we can better serve our men and women in uniform as they serve us.”
Carissa Picard, managing director of the Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium, said she had suggested Aug. 11 and asked the campaign to suggest other dates if that was not convenient, but after several conversations she had not been able to work anything out.
“I’m having extreme difficulty getting the Obama campaign to commit to this event, and we do not understand why,” said Ms. Picard, whose husband is deployed in Iraq. “We made it very clear to them that if they would commit to the event, we would work with them on dates.”
The organizers released details about the event in hopes that it would pressure the Obama campaign to agree to the event.
“This was a decision that was made with tremendous difficulty, to publicize it,” Ms. Picard said. “We were at a point where we had no other option. We got the impression that they could talk us to November.”
The meeting would be at the Expo Center in Belton, Tex., about 25 miles from Fort Hood.
A military audience might seem more hospitable to a Republican candidate, particularly one like Mr. McCain, who has made his support for the war in Iraq the heart of his campaign. But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a heavy toll on Fort Hood; one of the groups organizing the event estimates that up to 800 of the service people who have died in Iraq have come through the base.
And organizers say many Fort Hood residents — the base serves about 218,000 people, including service members, retirees and military families — have grown tired of the war and agree with Mr. Obama’s declaration that it must end.
Still, Mr. McCain prefers the town-hall-style format. He had proposed a series of 10 similar events with Mr. Obama, and the two campaigns were said to be working out details for a more limited series of meetings.
Organizers say the veterans and military population in the United States, including families, totals about 44 million people.
“McCain and Obama are asking to be the next commander in chief,” Ms. Picard said. “What’s a more compelling audience than this, the people that you have asked to maintain our security? It would be tremendous for the morale of this community.”
Organizers include American Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans for Common Sense and Military Spouse Corporate Career Network.
By KATE ZERNIKE
A coalition of military groups is planning a nationally televised town-hall-style meeting with the presidential candidates near Fort Hood, Tex., the largest active-duty military installation in the country. But so far, only Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, has agreed to attend.
CBS has agreed to broadcast the meeting live from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, Aug. 11. The candidates would face questions directly from an audience of 6,000 people, made up of veterans, service members and military families from the base.
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has not agreed to participate.
“Senator Obama strongly supports America’s veterans and military families and has worked hard on their behalf in the Senate,” said Phillip Carter, director of Mr. Obama’s veterans effort and an Iraq war veteran. “While we unfortunately had a previously scheduled commitment on the date proposed, Senator Obama looks forward to continuing the dialogue he’s been having throughout the country with veterans on how we can better serve our men and women in uniform as they serve us.”
Carissa Picard, managing director of the Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium, said she had suggested Aug. 11 and asked the campaign to suggest other dates if that was not convenient, but after several conversations she had not been able to work anything out.
“I’m having extreme difficulty getting the Obama campaign to commit to this event, and we do not understand why,” said Ms. Picard, whose husband is deployed in Iraq. “We made it very clear to them that if they would commit to the event, we would work with them on dates.”
The organizers released details about the event in hopes that it would pressure the Obama campaign to agree to the event.
“This was a decision that was made with tremendous difficulty, to publicize it,” Ms. Picard said. “We were at a point where we had no other option. We got the impression that they could talk us to November.”
The meeting would be at the Expo Center in Belton, Tex., about 25 miles from Fort Hood.
A military audience might seem more hospitable to a Republican candidate, particularly one like Mr. McCain, who has made his support for the war in Iraq the heart of his campaign. But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a heavy toll on Fort Hood; one of the groups organizing the event estimates that up to 800 of the service people who have died in Iraq have come through the base.
And organizers say many Fort Hood residents — the base serves about 218,000 people, including service members, retirees and military families — have grown tired of the war and agree with Mr. Obama’s declaration that it must end.
Still, Mr. McCain prefers the town-hall-style format. He had proposed a series of 10 similar events with Mr. Obama, and the two campaigns were said to be working out details for a more limited series of meetings.
Organizers say the veterans and military population in the United States, including families, totals about 44 million people.
“McCain and Obama are asking to be the next commander in chief,” Ms. Picard said. “What’s a more compelling audience than this, the people that you have asked to maintain our security? It would be tremendous for the morale of this community.”
Organizers include American Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans for Common Sense and Military Spouse Corporate Career Network.
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