Local media had difficulty confirming the stopover of the president’s plane, with all inquiries being referred to the White House, which didn’t respond.
However, national media referred to refueling stops “on Guam and in Hawaii” as Obama returned from his nine-day tour of the Pacific and Asia.
The president’s Boeing 747 flew over the entrance to Andersen Air Force Base and landed just before 11:30 p.m., remaining on the ground for less than two hours. Obama did not disembark, a disappointment for Gov. Eddie Calvo and various legislators who had hoped for a chance to meet with the president.
“The congresswoman was not invited to meet the president at an event that excluded other local leaders,” stated a release from Bordallo’s office. “We accept the explanation that this stopover precluded such an event for various security and logistics reasons,” the statement continued. But she “appreciates” the invitation for the ride back to Washington.
Bordallo said “she intends to convey the ‘team Guam’ approach to issues important to our island if she has a meeting with the president, ensuring that our voices will be heard and our concerns will have his personal attention during the flight back to Washington D.C.,” the release further stated.
Calvo expressed his disappointment with the missed opportunity to meet with the president. “I get that the president may be tired, or that security may be an issue. But this is Guam. We’re one of the safest American communities with very patriotic people who, despite feeling forgotten by the country’s leaders, would be very happy and eternally grateful to see their president; a president we don’t have the right to vote for, but who we cheer on anyway.”
He added, “I can understand why Guamanians would feel snubbed and disappointed. I mean, hey, if the president can see foreigners in Bali and Australia where the threat levels are higher, why can’t he say ‘hi’ to his fellow Americans on Guam? Why couldn’t Secretary Clinton? They both promised a lot to us when they were running for president in 2008. They found the time to meet with allies, but they didn’t have the time to meet with their fellow Americans on Guam… We’re going to keep advancing ourselves as an island, and maybe our leaders will see us as more than a refueling stop.”
