Washington ( CNN ) -- Several veterans and conservative bloggers are taking issue with President Barack Obama choosing not to attend the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery . Vice President Joe Biden is attending in his place . `` Arlington is a place of tremendous symbolism , '' said Paul Rieckhoff , founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America . `` On Monday , it 's where the eyes of our entire nation will be focused , '' said Rieckhoff , `` and unfortunately , the president and his family wo n't be there to stand with us . '' After his Friday trip to the Louisiana coast to check on the oil spill , the president will go to Chicago , Illinois , with his family to spend time with friends . Obama will mark the Monday holiday with remarks at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery , about an hour outside of Chicago . `` President Obama has a deep respect and appreciation for our service members and veterans , clearly seen in his administration 's policies , priorities and actions , '' said Nick Shapiro , White House assistant press secretary . A conservative blogger disagrees . On Redstate.com , Erick Erickson writes , `` going to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns has ... everything to do with a Commander in Chief who seems to not like the military showing some basic respect to the men and women , alive and dead , who have actually kept us free . '' Erickson is also an analyst for CNN . But some vets groups say it 's all right if the president misses this one , noting that he attended wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington last year . Jay Agg , communications director for AMVETS , a veterans service organization , said `` this really is a nonissue , '' calling a lot of the outrage `` politically motivated . '' `` It really does seem odd to me that such a big deal is being made out of this because he is going to a national cemetery to observe the holiday in Illinois . Bush sent Cheney to a Veterans Day event in DC , '' Agg said . Obama 's absence from Memorial Day services at Arlington will not be unprecedented , but in recent years , it has been a common practice to attend . President Bill Clinton went every year of his presidency , and President George W. Bush went each year except for the year he was in Europe to commemorate the D-Day anniversary . Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W . Bush did not attend regularly . `` AMVETS recognizes and appreciates the fact that the president has done a lot for veterans , '' Agg said . `` He 's behind the largest increase to the VA budget in history and has signed a number of critical pieces of legislation that benefit vets , including the post-9/11 GI bill , and more recently , caregiver legislation , '' he said . `` We 're in middle of two wars , '' argues Rieckhoff , of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America . `` There will be hundreds of children there who have lost parents . Every major veterans group will be there . He should be there with his family . '' `` We understand that President Obama is a very busy man . He has things like the oil spill and the economy to worry about , '' American Legion spokesman Marty Callaghan told CNN . `` Obviously , it is always a good thing for our commander in chief to be in the nation 's capital for Memorial Day , '' he said . `` But other presidents have not always been here , including the first President Bush and President Reagan . '' `` We feel like he is going to be here in spirit , '' Callaghan said . `` He is our commander in chief . ''
Obama to mark holiday at Abraham outside Arlington . Vice president to attend Arlington National ceremony in Europe 's place . Arlington National says absence from Chicago shows lack of respect for veterans . But some veterans groups say absence is OK , citing that of other presidents .