Michael Vick more important to Obama than family of slain soldier

The parents of Sgt. Sean Collins - who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month - say they're extremely grateful for the letters of condolences they've received from friends and strangers alike, the News Tribune reported on Thursday.

“As a father of someone killed, it is overwhelming,” said Sean's father, retired Lt. Col. Patrick Collins.

Nevertheless, Sean's parents say they feel slighted by the response, and lack of response, of two U.S. politicians: Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-Wash.] and President Barack Obama.

Sen. Cantwell did indeed send a letter of condolence to the Collins family, but strangely, the final paragraph of the letter reads:

"May your memories of Bryn and the knowledge that he made a positive impact on the lives of so many serve as a source of comfort to you during this time of sorrow."

The Sergeant's name was Sean, not Bryn.

Sen. Cantwell's office, it appears, sent the parents a form letter, and much to the family's chagrin, neither the senator, nor the senator's staff, had even taken the time to proofread the letter.

Sean's mother, Linda Collins, lamented: "I’m sure if [Sen. Cantwell's] son had died, she would’ve at least wanted his name spelled correctly."

The lack of response from President Obama, however, only added insult to the injury.

Mr. Collins recently called the White House and asked if President Obama could call his ex-wife, Linda, to talk about their son:

Collins was told [by the White House] that Obama did not regularly make phone calls to the families of fallen soldiers.

Later, Patrick Collins read a story about Obama’s phone call to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie. Obama reportedly praised Lurie for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance to play football after serving time in prison for running a dog fighting ring.

“That burns,” Patrick Collins said Thursday.

“Any soldier that gets killed in action, you’d think the president would be calling someone in the family. There’s no politics in it. His predecessor did it.”

Apparently, the vacationing President is too busy to fulfill the request of a fallen soldier's grieving father.

Obama's plate is filled to capacity - filled with ice shaves and other Hawaiian goodies - and he simply doesn't have time to thank Mr. and Mrs. Collins for their son's sacrifice. But he did find time to call the owner of the Philadelphia Eagle's to thank him for, what can only be described as, the ultimate sacrifice: offering Michael Vick a second chance to play football.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the President also found time to call Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah [who's recooperating from back surgery in a New York hospital] to wish him well.

It is doubtful, however, whether King Abdullah even noticed that the President was actually bowing before him over the telephone....