Orders to close World War II Memorial coming directly from White House

Yesterday, groups of World War Two veterans did the unthinkable. After the White House denied a request to let veterans tour their memorial, the vets defied the feds and stormed the barricades. It was a defiant act that spat in the face of Harry Reid's decision to shut down the federal government. Today, we're learning that not only has the administration doubled down on its decision to keep vets from entering the site, but that the orders to do so are coming directly from the White House.

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As has become routine in situations like these, Twitter has been the best source of continuing information. In particular, The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes has been all over the story since early this morning.

Seriously? RT: @charliespiering Live from WWII mem where officials are setting up more gates & tape to block visitors pic.twitter.com/1SMtMhJgZc -- Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 2, 2013

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Hayes then wondered who in their right mind would double down on such an insulting, arrogant, and imbecilic policy decision - particularly after the PR nightmare it had caused the administration.

After the confrontation w/WWII vets at the memorial yesterday, someone in the federal gov made a decision to escalate. Key question: Who? -- Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 2, 2013

Pretty soon, the answer started pouring in - from a variety of sources.

At the WWII Memorial, Carol Johnson w/the Park Service says they were told to close the site by White House's Office of Management & Budget. -- Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 2, 2013

Spokesman for @nps says they were told to barricade the #WWIIMemorial by the White House OMB. #LetTheVetsIn pic.twitter.com/p7S3iYXg4o -- Let the Vets In (@LettheVetsIn) October 2, 2013

So, the order to keep a throng of elderly, wheelchair bound, veterans from entering their own memorial came directly from the White House Office of Management and Budget. So far, the President has been silent on this issue and, as long as his silence continues, whatever meager PR advantage he enjoyed in this fight will rapidly be slipping away. This is the action of a petty, brutish administration led by a petulant childwho's furious that America's heroes would dare to stand up and poke him in the eye. Try though they might, Obama's slavish media allies will find it impossible to spin this as anything but an ugly temper tantrum. As was the case yesterday, the effort to close the park has now failed, and in the process the Obama administration has embarrassed itself badly.

.@cnn @jaketapper: "there were no barricades up". They are still up. @nps tried to stop vets going thru but failed. pic.twitter.com/Rn1xm3BCJY -- Let the Vets In (@LettheVetsIn) October 2, 2013

You would think that the President would be open to the idea of - at least - allowing funding measures that would open the memorials or honor our veterans. Not because it's the right thing to do, but because he has to know how bad this looks. You'd be wrong. Take a look at what GOP leader Eric Cantor just tweeted:

President Obama has just threatened to veto funding bills for NIH kids, veterans, nat'l parks, nat'l guard & DC. pic.twitter.com/ofe2ucn7vA -- Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) October 2, 2013

Obama is officially threatening to veto any stopgap legislation that would keep the memorials open and honor our heroes. Utterly, utterly, shameful. On the upside, though; at least Democrats have been able to take a break from their usual arduous routine of feigning respect for the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform.

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