Umbrella Gate Is The Latest Scandal To Rock Obama’s White House

Forget what you have heard about the IRS probing conservative groups, the phone tap at the Associated Press and Benghazi. There is a real scandal brewing at the White House, and it has to do with the President avoiding rain. 

While the President was giving a speech with the Turkish Prime Minister on Thursday, a bit of rain started to fall on President Obama. So he asked if he could get some cover, because he didn't want to take a risk of a soaking down pour. A couple of Marines took some umbrellas and came over to provide said cover.

Then the conservative world exploded with outrage and criticism of the move. Should trained Marines be asked to hold an umbrella for the President?

Now according to Marine Corps regulation MCO P1020.34F of the Marine Corps Uniform Regulations chapter 3, a male Marine can never carry an umbrella while in uniform. However a female Marine can carry one is in her dress or service uniform.

Does that mean if in a sticky situation a Marine can't hold a uniform for the commander in chief? It would be odd if he were just walking around the White House grounds having someone hold an umbrella for him, but he was giving a joint news conference with a Prime Minister from another country. After a few minutes, he dismissed the Marines because the rain let up.

If there really was something that said a Marine couldn't hold an umbrella at a time like this,  there is no way it would have been done. Also, as BuzzFeed writer Andrew Kaczynski points out, he's not the first President to have a Marine hold an umbrella for him.