Gibbs: Obama Has Spent "Close to 20 Direct Hours" on Afghan War, "Quite a Bit of Time" Pondering

Obama took "Close to 20 Direct Hours" on the Afghan War while he has spent countless more hours playing golf not to mention date nights including NYC that cost the taxpayers, NYC, and the Air Force major dollars. He promised Michelle he would take her to Broadway after the campaign so he waited until he was President so the taxpayers had to pay for their date night.

This man who did the photo op at Dover which was disgusting enough but now has spent "20 Direct Hours" in ten months on the Afghanistan War that he said was the important war. Out of the "20 Direct Hours" three were yesterday with the Joint Chiefs. No President should ever use our fallen heroes for his own personal gain and that is what happens when you round up the media to go with you. He should have made it personal with the families not a photo op which demeans our soldiers who have died in the Obama Afghanistan War.

This Administration lied that the Bush Administration didn't leave them any information when in fact the Bush Administration turned over all the intelligence they had gathered from the military and intelligence community but Obama asked them to keep it secret. We know why -- Obama wanted to take credit for his victory. Guess Obama thought he could snap his fingers and the Taliban were going to lay down their weapons and all sing Kum By Ya together. Who wouldn't want to listen to the words of Obama as he spreads peace and harmony around the world to our enemies and trash our allies.

Obama doesn't deserve to considered the Commander in Chief. Shirker in Chief would be a better title since he goes to work at 9:00 or 10:00 as he is too busy decorating the White House quarters with Michelle. On weekends he plays golf. What a life.

Gibbs: Obama Has Spent "Close to 20 Direct Hours" on Afghan War, "Quite a Bit of Time" Pondering
Friday, October 30, 2009
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.

SNIP--

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.

Source: freerepublic.com

CURL: Obama distractions sideline Afghan plan

Since this article was written for publication this morning, Chicago came in 4th in the Olympic competition (Obama's pitch failed) and was the first city knocked out. He spent 25 minutes, yes that is minutes, talking to the Afghanistan Commander McChrystal on AF 1 versus over four hours meeting with the IOC and trying to smooze them for Chicago which was a waste of time and taxpayer's dollars to go to Copenhegan. Why didn't Chicago pick up the tab for the Obama's to go to Copenhagen since it wasn't a priority for the rest of the Country? Chicago would have taken graft to a whole new level if awarded the Olympics.

Looks like the Obama voters managed to elect not only someone unqualified for the position but one of the laziest President's in history who would rather jet around the globe and continue to vote present on Afghanistan. We found yesterday that the French and British wanted to confront Iran at the UN but Obama vetoed that idea as they didn't want anything to ruin the perception he had everything under control at the UN. Obama looks weaker by the day.

We also have learned that General McCrystal submitted his Afghanistan assessment to SecDef Gates at the end of August. It is now October and still nothing out of Pres Obama on Afghanistan while we have troops dying almost on a daily basis from roadside bombs, etc. Seems this President would rather go to fundraisers, play golf, jet off to Copenhegan for Chicago, and ignore major issues facing the United States rather then have to make a decision.

CURL: Obama distractions sideline Afghan plan
By Joseph Curl POLITICAL THEATER
Oct 2, 2009

Just after proclaiming October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and just before departing for Copenhagen to lobby for his hometown as an Olympics host city, President Obama found the time Thursday to pop by the posh St. Regis Hotel a few blocks from the White House to hobnob with a gathering of Democratic governors and help raise some campaign cash.
But he didn't find time to say a word about the war in Afghanistan and what he plans to do about it. He didn't refer to the deteriorating situation there or take questions from the press corps - which he's done just once in five weeks.

The 125 or so attendees opened with arugula salad mixed with pecans. On golden embroidered tablecloths under giant crystal chandeliers, they proceeded to the baked salmon over risotto, finishing off the meal with small, delicate dessert canapes.

After meeting and greeting the eight governors and VIPs in a private reception, Mr. Obama assured the supportive crowd that the federal government is staying focused on the important issues.

"I know some folks say we should focus on fixing the economy instead of on health insurance reform," he said before falling into a familiar pitch on health care. He added that America has a "rare moment where we have a chance to seize our future."

In the past month, the president has found the time to play golf - four times. He's had links legend Arnold Palmer and other top golfers over to the White House. He's shot some hoops with friends and yukked it up with hockey's Pittsburgh Penguins.

He's celebrated Ramadan at the White House, eulogized newsman Walter Cronkite in New York City, attended several fundraisers (including Thursday afternoon's luncheon), appeared on David Letterman's late-night show (one of eight interviews), delivered two speeches to AFL-CIO rallies and dropped by the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial for a visit with his wife and daughters.

And the brief jaunt to Copenhagen to buttonhole members of the International Olympic Committee on behalf of Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid was Mr. Obama's seventh trip out of town since Sept. 1.

Yet still no decision on strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

The president was vacationing in Martha's Vineyard on Aug. 30 when Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal sent Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates a war assessment in which he said more U.S. troops - and a new U.S. strategy - are urgently needed to defeat a growing insurgency in Afghanistan.

Source: Washington Times