Obama Admin Awards Obama Medal for ‘Distinguished Public Service’

Breitbart reported:

On Wednesday, President Obama added another prestigious medal to his Nobel Prize collection when he had Defense Secretary Ash Carter award him with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
Secretary Carter awarded his boss with the medal on January 4 during the Armed Forces Full Honor Farewell Review for the President held at Conmy Hall, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia.

Carter insisted that the medal was a token of appreciation for Obama’s service as commander in chief, the Associated Press reported.

After spending the last few weeks throwing roadblocks in the path of President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team, Obama nonetheless claimed in his remarks to the members of the military in attendance that “We’ve got to make sure that during this transition period that there is a seamless passing of the baton, that there’s continuity.”

Then, Breitbart posted a Tweet that alluded to the idea that Obama basically gave the award to himself:

@markknoller so Carter whom was picked for Secretary of Defense by Obama gives him an award! I wonder who's idea that was EGO & CHIEF?

— LSU-Pi (@LSU_PI) January 4, 2017

The reality here is that Bush and Clinton received the same award at the same ceremony as they exited office, as the Washington Post reports below.

We love Breitbart, who generally does excellent reporting. And, Obama has let his narcissism hang out for all to suffer through at every opportune moment over the last 8 years. So, we won’t fault them too much for giving into the temptation of taking so much liberty with this one, especially since it gave us all such a cathartic laugh.

Obama said Wednesday that he has had “no greater privilege and no greater honor” than serving as commander in chief of the U.S. military. Presidents and service members take a similar oath, he said.

“You committed yourself to a life of service and of sacrifice,” Obama said. “And I in turn, made a promise to you, which to the best of my abilities I tried to uphold every single day since. That I would only send you into harm’s way when it was absolutely necessary, with a strategy and well defined goals, with the equipment and support that you needed to get the job done. Because that’s what you rightfully expect and that is what you rightfully deserve.”

President Obama returns to his seat after receiving the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service from Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter during an Armed Forces Full Honor Review Farewell Tribute in his honor at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. on Wednesday. EPA/SHAWN THEW

In January 2009, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave outgoing President George W. Bush the award at a similar ceremony. Then-Defense Secretary William S. Cohen did the same with President Clinton in January 2001.

Cohen also presented director Steven Spielberg with the award in 1999 for the film “Saving Private Ryan.” The movie, Cohen said, “poignantly captured the stirring sacrifices of America’s World War II heroes, and paid living tribute to their indomitable fighting spirit,” the award citation said.

Source: Breitbart, Washington Post

Photo: Mark Knoller/Twitter