Mom Supports Obama's Bracelet Mention

Tracy Jopek "Ecstatic" About Democrat's Use Of Her Son's Name At Debate

(AP)  The mother of a Wisconsin soldier who died in Iraq says she was "ecstatic" when Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama mentioned during Friday's debate the bracelet she gave him in honor of her son.

Tracy Jopek of Merrill told The Associated Press on Sunday she was honored that Obama remembered Sgt. Ryan David Jopek, who was killed in 2006 by a roadside bomb.

Jopek criticized Internet reports suggesting Obama, D-Ill., exploited her son for political purposes.

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

Jopek acknowledged e-mailing the Obama campaign in February asking that the presidential candidate not mention her son in speeches or debates. But she said Obama's mention on Friday was appropriate because he was responding after Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee, said a soldier's mother gave him a bracelet.

"I've got a bracelet, too, from Sergeant - from the mother of Sergeant Ryan David Jopek, given to me in Green Bay," Obama said during the debate. "She asked me, 'Can you please make sure another mother is not going through what I'm going through?' No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided."

Jopek says Obama's comment rightfully suggested there's more than one viewpoint on the war.

She wouldn't directly say whether she wanted Obama to refrain from mentioning the bracelet again, but said she hopes the issue will just go away.

"I think these bracelets should be looked upon as an honor that both candidates wear them to respect the troops," Jopek said. "My request to both of them is that they honor the troops by lifting the conversation to the issues, and that they continue to live up to the standards our military deserves."

[leftyintexas]

I loved OBAMA''s comeback to McCain about wearing a soldier''s bracelet. McCain was speechless. OBAMA is one cool dude. He''ll make an excellent President. Go get ''em tiger!!!

[pr_boxer]

You see Katy Couric simply isn''t able to step down to the semi-moronic level of that ding-bat Sarah Palin. Katy is accustomed to talking with intelligent sophistcated people.

Its a bit much to ask of Couric to try to prompt a 3rd grader through a CBS interview!

[blueskypie]

For all the repub trolls who do not like CBS, go leave your blogs on FAUX news.

[annie406]

Katie Couric has proven she cannot report stories without her own personal preferences taking over the interview. She is clearly defensive of Obama and yet in attack mode in all interviews with McCain and Palin. I noticed her interview with Biden was very warm and fuzzy. Is there a kickback or something for this type of coverage on CBS? Why don''t you go ahead and show your support for Obama? OH WAIT, you already DO through your biased coverage.

If you can''t report fairly, then DON''T. Maybe CBS needs to take a peek at the coverage they give both candidates and truthfully ask themselves if the coverage is FAIR.

Katie Couric should be ashamed of herself for reporting in such a biased manner.

[amerigal]

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
-Abraham Lincoln

[eroosevelt08]

The stock market is back up 354.03 points today so far. Maybe we do not need the bailout.

[eroosevelt08]

It is true: the media tend to air the stories that are more interesting to people.

[amerigal]

"Liberals? Isn''''''''t it your idiot monkey king Bush who was asking for 700 billion so the government could get into the mortgage market? Who bailed out a private bank? If that isn''''''''t socialism, then what is?

Posted by mrmazerati at 08:25 AM : Sep 30, 2008"

You liberal pinheads need to realize that it is YOUR Demwitted Congress that put us in this situation - oh and the Clinton admininistration. Some saw this coming years ago, but refused to step in and stop it. Just check out this link...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE7DB153EF933A0575AC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

Obama is a socialist and he and his wife racists. You liberal people are mindless idiots who want the government to control everything for you so you don''t have to make decisions and you can live off of us working people.

[leftyintexas]

cbs3200 you know the media has been favoring the Democrats for at least the last 6 years now. And, as time progresses, they''''ve become even more open about it!

Posted by Hwy71So at 12:20 PM : Sep 30, 2008

And so is everyone else with a brain.

[dj282008]

When will this cowardly chimpanzee truly serve this country? It''''s time he went off to Afghanistan since he''''s so afraid of Iraq and fought.

This country has been good to B.O. Chimp - it''''s time he gave back instead of trying to destroy it.

Now heres something, How he Obama trying to destroy our country?

[abbe91]

"Liberals? Isn''''t it your idiot monkey king Bush who was asking for 700 billion so the government could get into the mortgage market? Who bailed out a private bank? If that isn''''t socialism, then what is?

Posted by mrmazerati at 08:25 AM : Sep 30, 2008"

Communism.

[biomegaly]

To Biomegaly: Since you work at the V.A. perhaps you can help explain how the care has diminished becasue of McCain''''s votes to cut the VA budget and close many hospitals since 2000. 10 X in a row he has voted against veterans. How do you reconcile that with you "concern" for veterans? John McCain has voted against pay raises for active military and family benefits in his TOTAL support of the Cowardly Cowboy''''s exploitation of our soldiers. By the way, perhaps you should have more conversations with the older and wiser patients at the VA, since most WW II vets and those, like me, who served during Vietnam, now believe that the war in Iraq was a mistake.


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Posted by excoachken at 09:25 AM : Sep 30, 2008

VA has the best healthcare in the US. You need to check your resources. Time magazine, Buisness Week, etc. have reported this. I''m not sure where you get your services, but you need to advocate for yourself if you are not receiving what you need and rightly deserve. For which I''m sorry. I greatly enjoy serving Veterans and am grateful for them. I have spoke to many WWII vets, and I stand with my previous statement.

[tbuckl]

Thomas Jefferson was so right when he said the following, I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by all future generations, under the name of funding, is but swindling the state of being yet to come on a large scale. Now the American banking system and its Barbaric CEOs have taken the American people to the clearers. Thomas Jefferson correctly used the word SWINDLING when writing his thoughts about banks and aristocratic tyrants that would infect our soceity. He knew these aristocratic tyrants would infest our soceity just like they did so many centuries ago. I wish he had been wrong, because I am starting to think something else he said may also be true. "The tree of liberty must from time to time be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

[excoachken]

To Biomegaly: Since you work at the V.A. perhaps you can help explain how the care has diminished becasue of McCain''s votes to cut the VA budget and close many hospitals since 2000. 10 X in a row he has voted against veterans. How do you reconcile that with you "concern" for veterans? John McCain has voted against pay raises for active military and family benefits in his TOTAL support of the Cowardly Cowboy''s exploitation of our soldiers. By the way, perhaps you should have more conversations with the older and wiser patients at the VA, since most WW II vets and those, like me, who served during Vietnam, now believe that the war in Iraq was a mistake.

[excoachken]

To Hwy71So: At first I thought 71 South was your address, but you have just shown me that it is your I.Q. and the direct it is headed. What a moron!!!!!

[biomegaly]

"Hwy - how DARE you tell ANY mother who lost her son what YOU think! It was HER son, not yours - understand that? Why don''''''''t YOU lose your own son and we''''''''ll tell YOU how you should feel about it? Fair enough????

Posted by raflin01 at 08:38 AM : Sep 30, 2008"

I said what I said and I stand by it. Her son served the US honorably and voluntarily. He was NOT pressed into service. His honorable service is made light of when his own mother cites that he died in vain! I DO protest! And I salute HIM his service!!!!!


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Posted by Hwy71So at 09:05 AM : Sep 30, 2008

I stand with you Hwy71So. I take care of Veterans at a VA. Not a single one would ever say their commerads died in vain. It is so special what our armed services does for Americans. Its unfortunate people are blinded by their hate.

[biomegaly]

I dont understand how the Main Stream Media is not reporting or investigating Obama background.
jaxsterling5 at 07:16 AM : Sep 30, 2008

Jax-you know the answer to this one. Any media outlet would be slaughtered by other media outlets for any type of investigation--THEY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE LABELED RACISTS!

I agree with what you say. The bracelet was such a copycat move by O''crackhead. ''Look at me, love me, vote for me.''

[antoniof123]

Tracy Jopek of Merrill told The Associated Press on Sunday she was honored that Obama remembered Sgt. Ryan David Jopek, who was killed in 2006 by a roadside bomb.

Jopek criticized Internet reports suggesting Obama, D-Ill., exploited her son for political purposes.

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

This is true Patriotism and respect for the troops.

NOT MCCAIN/PALIN WERE A PIN AND SAY YOU SUPPORT THE TROOPS.

What is so funny is Obama is the leading person with donations from the troops and Ron Paul a distance second (he is not even running). Hey Ron you need to leave the wing nut party they are worthless.

[mrmazerati]

No wonder you liberals want to go to a socialist republic of communism...

Posted by Hwy71So

Liberals? Isn''t it your idiot monkey king Bush who was asking for 700 billion so the government could get into the mortgage market? Who bailed out a private bank? If that isn''t socialism, then what is? The Republicans have put more socialism in action over the last several months than any president in the last 50 years.

[hokuto1]

jaxsterling5 ain''t no platinum: "Wait a Second, Obama is a crackhead, he admits it in his book. How do we know the crack didnt damage his brain. UHH...AHHH...UMMM...."

Yuh. But at least he can remember what he smoked. Bush says he, uh, can''t even REMEMBER whether he did COKE or not. That makes it easier to understand why "Bushism" has become a synonym for "critical neuron loss."