Posted on 10/30/2009 8:00:54 PM PDT by kristinn
At today's White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Barack Obama has spent "close to 20 direct hours" in meetings on Afghanistan since Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for tens of thousands of reinforcements was submitted over two months ago with a warning the war would be lost in twelve months without more troops.
Gibbs says Obama also spends "quite a bit of time" thinking about the war in Afghanistan.
Gibbs was asked about a statement by the mother of one of the fallen soldiers, Sgt. Dale Griffin, killed in Afghanistan this week whom Obama met with at Dover early Thursday morning. The mother, Dona Griffin, said she told Obama, Don't leave our troops hanging," when he asked the families if there was anything he could do for them. Gibbs was asked if Obama feels like he is leaving the troops hanging.
He responded that Obama is trying to "understand the full cost of the war."
MR. GIBBS: Again, we haven't gotten into broad specifics on that yet.
On the first part, Jeff, you know, look, I think -- I don't -- I used to have it calculated, I should just go back and do it, the number of hours that he has spent in these meetings is probably now -- well, at the end of today will probably be getting close to 20 direct hours of his time. The group -- the principals that meet with the President additionally take time to get the material ready, and are prepared to answer questions for the President, probably at least twice as much of that of the President's time the principals have spent.
So obviously we -- the President and his team have spent a pretty big chunk of time evaluating very, very closely each of these individual countries, their relationship together and their impact on the region.
At the conclusion of these meetings, he generally is off to the next thing. I think he has spent quite a bit of time after the meetings back in the office -- back in his office, probably primarily in the Residence at night, going back and reading through his notes, as well as -- notes that he's taken on the meetings, and oftentimes will come out with questions that the team will prepare the answers for, for the next meeting.
SNIPQ--Early yesterday morning when he was in Dover and met with the families, the families said that he asked, is there anything we can do for the families. And the mother of -- Dona Griffin, a mother of the last of the dignified transfers, said that she told the President, "Don't leave our troops hanging." When he walks into the Situation Room right about now, does he have any sense that the time he's taking to make these decisions is leaving those troops hanging?
MR. GIBBS: Again, to go back through what's happened, the President believed that additional forces were needed in March and he added them to get us to a point where we could evaluate the outcome of the election. That obviously has been delayed a little bit, but he believes this is a point in which it's necessary to fully assess where we are. I don't believe the President thinks -- I know he doesn't believe that this assessment is in any way doing that. I think he understands and I think, as you heard him say yesterday in the Oval Office, I think his commitment, particularly after going to a place like Dover, is to understand the full cost of the war.
That Marine needs more leather on that neck :P
We are wondering if he is deliberately leaving our soldiers to die. His aims might be to tear the hearts out of patriotic Americans, to cause pain and misery in the families he despises, and to create diversion from his headlong charge to socialism. The demoralization of the military is an extra added benefit.
Gives me a massive case of the creeps to see Obambi saluting.
You're weren't kidding. It's still blurry.
God bless this amazing young man and all of our troops. Thank you for sharing that.
his heart is with the Taliban
I was critical for GWB’s mishandling of Iraq, but this child in the WH is outdoing both Bush and LBJ.
Pondering??? Pondering??? give the generals what they need or come home
IT WORKS! thank you.
He sure has spend a lot more than 20 hours trying to terrify America into embracing his lousy health reform bill...he has, also, spend more than 20 hours fund raising & campaigning...he has spend more than 20 hours partying every Wednesday at the WH on our dime...and he has, also, probably spend more than 20 hours going on TV shows, letterman, 60 Minutes, Sunday Talk shows, CNN, etc., etc...
Just WOW!
Never saw a better jaw though.
Couldn't they have at least lied about the amount of time? They lie about everything else, why make it so apparent that they don't give a crap about the soldiers dying over there?
I loathe you Obama. You truly are a worthless POS. A-hole.
Close to 20 hours means about 16.
He spends more time each month attending the weekly concerts held each Wednesday at the White House.
Throw in the golf games, basketball games, date nights, awards ceremonies, apology speaches, campaining. Its a wonder he has 16 hours a month left to do anything.
A president is supposed to be decisive, able to make quick, accurate decisions. Not to "ponder" for 20 hrs. Good grief, what a sorry soul he is. He is totally lost in space. The space behind that desk in the Oval Office.
BTTT
Zero has spent less than the amount of “time” W would have spent in a week.
Wow, so we are supposed to bow down and kiss his royal azz because he spent 20 whole hours of his entire effing life on Afghanistan?
If I were one of those families whose son was lost in this conflict on his watch I would be LIVID.
They give ALL, the last drop of their being FOREVER!
And this idiot thinks he’s going above and beyond the call of duty with a whole 20 M’Fng HOURS?!!!!!!
This thoroughly disgusts me.
20 hours since March.
And of course, if we spend ‘thinking’ time it’s a lot like saved or created.
Damn this evildoer.
More time concerned with his buddy skip gates than on our beloved heroes.
His Bosses haven’t pulled his strings yet,,,
He just does what he’s Told...
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