Did Obama Just Snub The Marines Again?

If an alleged Benghazi cover-up, the IRS tea-party scandal, and claims that his Justice Department is ignoring reporters' First Amendment Rights weren't already the stuff of headaches for President Barack Obama, now he's facing a mini-scandal with the U.S. Marines.

While boarding Marine One, the presidential helicopter, on Friday, Obama walked past a saluting Marine corporal and strode up the boarding stairs without returning the salute(picture above)

The breach of military protocol - the president of the United States serves as the military commander-in-chief did not go unnoticed by the press corps.

Better late than never? Obama did return a salute from Marines flying the aircraft and sitting inside the cabin, but left the Marine at the bottom of the stairs high and dry

Uh oh! The president stepped back off of Marine One and onto the South Lawn of the White House after realizing that he hadn't saluted the Marine corporal on his way to the helicopter

R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Obama never gave the Marine a chance to complete the saluting routine, choosing instead to shake his hand

Covering Obama's departure for the White House in-town press pool. the Houston Chronicle's Rick Dunham wrote that at 9:30 a.m. 'the President walked directly up the steps of Marine One without saluting the Marine on duty.'

Confusing matters, the president did manage to return the salutes of uniformed personnel inside the helicopter once he reached the top of the stairs.

Obama, or someone in his traveling group, must have noticed the earlier error.

'He soon came out of the helicopter, walked down the steps, shook hands with the Marine and engaged in a brief conversation,' Dunham added.

Obama delivered his address at the academy and received a commemorative beer stein from U.S. Navy Ensign John-Rex Spivey, president of the class of 2013. His speech concerned the scourge of reported sexual assaults in the military

But Obama, taking a second chance to maintain military order, still failed to return the first Marine's salute.

Obama was on his way to deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy, which graduates hundreds of future naval officers and Marines every year. 

'Uhhhh boy,' wrote Keith Koffler on his White House Dossier blog. 'And he was on his way to give the commencement address at Annapolis.'

'I’ve never seen this happen in 15 years covering the White House,' Koffler added. 'Someone clearly noticed, or Obama remembered, and he came back out and shook the Marine’s hand. Which I’ve also never seen.'

Hoping for a break in the storm: Obama faced a barrage of questions over three simultaneous scandals engulfing his administration during a press conference in a rain-soaked Rose Garden with the Turkish Prime Minister

Broken Regulations: US Marines hold umbrellas during light rain for US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Obama was criticized last week for asking two uniformed Marines to hold umbrellas so he and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Ergodan didn't have to address reporters in the rain during a sudden White House Rose Garden downpour.

Following that incident, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney said the president humiliated the Marine holding his umbrella and made him ‘look like a butler.' 

He said one of Obama's aides should have been tasked with the less-than-solemn duty.

‘The President has stood in the rain before without an umbrella and a marine would generally stand there without holding an umbrella.'

‘I think it’s a lack of respect for the marine, that’s what I think.'

Insensitive? Many have questioned the President's actions

Rule Breaker: President Barack Obama, center, watches a Marine remove the umbrella after it stopped raining during his joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Many commentators found the use of the marines to be particularly insensitive, given the President was answering questions on Benghazi.

The lack of marines protecting Ambassador Chris Stevens at the Libyan consulate and the failure to deploy marines to protect him amid the outbreak of violence has come under fire ever since last year's attack on September 11.

Adding to the controversy over today's latest presidential gaffe is the fact that it came as Americans prepared to celebrate Memorial Day, a holiday commemorating military men and women who gave their lives in combat.