President Obama returned the salute of two Marines as he exited Marine One on Monday with a Styrofoam cup in his right hand. The 12-year-old responsible for Obama’s “Instagram” account had a video of the salute posted until a backlash began.

• It wasn’t as if Obama was carrying the “Nuclear Football” in his left hand—it was empty—Obama is left-handed.
• It wasn’t as if he couldn’t get another drink in New York if he’d left the Styrofoam cup behind.
• It wasn’t as if it was the first time in his presidency that Marines were standing at attention at the bottom of the Marine One stairs.
• It wasn’t as if the Marines weren’t a reminder of their band of brothers he had just ordered into harm’s way. 
• It was as if he was more concerned about addressing his band of brothers at the UN.
• It was as if Obama and his fellow environmental zealots are green hypocrites.

Styrofoam is considered a weapon of mass destruction by Obama’s mean-green base and his fellow Democrats who want it banned in the Capitol cafeterias.  For them, using Styrofoam is doubtless a much greater faux pas than Obama’s improper salute.  Using a Styrofoam cup is another example of Obama’s failure to “lead by example” that he touted when he signed his “GreenGov” executive order in 2009.  According to the “GoGreen Collaborative and Challenge” in “federal and military service” promoted on the White House website:

“Many agencies are already putting them into practice, whether it's replacing the Styrofoam cups at their cafeterias with compostable cups, or installing energy efficient lighting systems in their buildings.”

Then there’s those “Styrofoam” wreaths and ornaments hanging in the White House during Christmas of 2012, including instructions on how to make them:

 “The East Landing pays tribute to our Armed Forces and their families. The walls and the tree are adorned with flag-inspired wreaths crafted by volunteers using Styrofoam forms, yarn and felt.

 What You’ll Need

• Foam wreaths — we used miniature foam wreaths to make ornaments for the tree and larger 14” and 24” foam forms for wreaths hung on the walls.”

How a commander in chief salutes his military, especially in time of war, reveals something about the man. So does his failure to “lead by example.”