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Joint Chiefs Chairman "Very Positive" After Meeting with Obama [2008-11-30]
Joint Chiefs Chairman 'Very Positive' After Meeting With Obama-
By Karen DeYoungWashington Post Staff WriterSunday, November 30, 2008; A01
Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went unarmed into his first meeting with the new commander in chief -- no aides, no PowerPoint presentation, no briefing books. Summoned nine days ago to President-elect Barack Obama's Chicago transition office, Mullen showed up with just a pad, a pen and a desire to take the measure of his incoming boss.
There was little talk of exiting Iraq or beefing up the U.S. force in Afghanistan; the one-on-one, 45-minute conversation ranged from the personal to the philosophical. Mullen came away with what he wanted: a view of the next president as a non-ideological pragmatist who was willing to both listen and lead. After the meeting, the chairman felt very good, very positive, according to Mullen spokesman Capt. John Kirby.
As Obama prepares to announce his national security team tomorrow, he faces a military that has long mistrusted Democrats and is particularly wary of a young, intellectual leader with no experience in uniform, who once called Iraq a dumb war. Military leaders have all heard his pledge to withdraw most combat forces from Iraq within 16 months -- sooner than commanders on the ground have recommended -- and his implied criticism of the Afghanistan war effort during the Bush administration.
But so far, Obama appears to be going out of his way to reassure them that he will do nothing rash and will seek their advice, even while making clear that he may not always take it. He has demonstrated an ability to speak the lingo, talk about mission plans and tasking, and to differentiate between strategy and tactics, a distinction Republican nominee John McCain accused him of misunderstanding during the campaign.
Obama has been careful to separate his criticism of Bush policy from his praise of the military target=>Michelle Obama target=>U.S. military goals and capabilities, which many found lacking during the Bush years.
Open and serious debate versus ideological certitude will be a great relief to the military leaders, said retired Maj. Gen. William L. Nash of the Council on Foreign Relations. Senior officers are aware that few in their ranks voiced misgivings over the Iraq war, but they counter that they were not encouraged to do so by the Bush White House or the Pentagon under Donald H. Rumsfeld.
The joke was that when you leave a meeting, everybody is supposed to drink the Kool-Aid, Nash said. In the Bush administration, you had to drink the Kool-Aid before you got to go to the meeting.
Obama target=>Robert M. Gates as defense secretary and expected appointment of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state and retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser have been greeted with relief at the Pentagon.
Clinton is respected at the Pentagon and is considered a defense moderate, at times bordering on hawkish. Through her membership on the Senate Armed Services Committee -- sought early in her congressional career to add gravitas to her presidential aspirations -- she has developed close ties with senior military figures.
Some in the military are suspicious of flagpole officers such as Jones, whose assignments included Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Marine commandant and other headquarters service, and who grew up in France and is a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. But Jones also saw combat in Vietnam and served in Bosnia.
His reputation is pretty good, one Pentagon official said. He and at a lean 6-foot-4, the former Georgetown basketball player looks great in a suit.
Although Jones occasionally and privately briefed candidate Obama on foreign policy matters -- on Afghanistan, in particular, as did current deputy NATO commander Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry -- he is not considered an intimate of the president-elect.
But as Obama target=>Brent Scowcroft and Colin L. Powell, who injected order and discipline to a National Security Council full of strong personalities with independent power bases.
Although exit polls did not break out active-duty voters, it is virtually certain that McCain won the military vote.
In an October survey by the Military Times, nearly 70 percent of more than 4,000 officers and enlisted respondents said they favored McCain, while about 23 percent preferred Obama. Only African American service members gave Obama a majority.
In exit polls, those who said they had ever served in the U.S. military made up 15 percent of voters and broke 54 percent for McCain to 44 percent for Obama. As a culture, we are more conservative and Republican, a senior officer said.
Obama has said he will meet with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as well as the service chiefs during his first week in office. At the top of his agenda for that meeting will be what he has called the militarynew mission of planning the 16-month withdrawal timeline for Iraq. Senior officers have publicly grumbled about the risk involved.
Moving forward in a measured way, tied to conditions as they continue to evolve, over time, is important, Mullen said at a media briefing four days before his Nov. 21 meeting with Obama. I prior to the election, he said.
The last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, clashed with the chiefs during his first sit-down with them when they opposed his campaign pledge to end the ban on gays in the military. The chiefs, some of whom held the commander in chief in thinly veiled contempt as a supposed Vietnam draft dodger, won the battle, and Clinton spent much of his two terms seen as an adversary.
But Mullen came away from the Chicago talk reassured that Obama will engage in a discussion with them, balancing risks and asking tough questions . . . but not in a combative, finger-pointing way, one official said.
The president-elect target=>Capitol Hill and whose first two-year term as chairman does not expire until the end of September, was seen as an attempt to establish a relationship and avoid early conflict. While some Pentagon officials believe an Iraq withdrawal order could become Obama target=>Defense Department sources said that Gates, Mullen and Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of the military's Central Command, are untroubled by the 16-month plan and feel it can be accomplished with a month or two of wiggle room.
These sources noted that Obama himself has said he would not be careless about withdrawal and would retain a residual force of unspecified size to fight terrorists and protect U.S. diplomats and civilians. The officer most concerned about untimely withdrawal, sources said, is the Iraq commander, Gen. Ray Odierno.
Even as the Iraq war continues, defense officials are far more worried about Afghanistan, where they see policy drift and an unfocused mission. With strategy reviews now being completed at the White House and by the chairman's office, an internal Pentagon debate is well underway over whether goals should be lowered.
Although Gen. David McKiernan, the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has requested four more U.S. combat brigades, some Pentagon strategists believe a smaller presence of Special Forces and trainers for Afghan forces -- and more attention to Pakistan -- is advisable.
Bush's ideological objective of a modern Afghan democracy, several officials said, is unattainable with current U.S. resources, and there is optimism that Obama will have a more realistic view.
A number of senior officers also look with favor on Obama's call for talks with Iran over Iraq and Afghanistan, separating those issues from U.S. demands over Tehran's nuclear program.
One of the biggest long-term military issues on Obama's plate will be the defense budget, currently topping 4.3 percent of gross domestic product once war expenditures are included.
Obama has said he will increase the size of the Army and the Marine Corps, finding savings in the Iraq drawdown and in new scrutiny of spending, including on contractors, weapons programs and missile defense.
They know the money is coming down, a Pentagon official said of the uniformed services, and many welcome increased discipline.
But itIt
Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta and research Editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Don't try to blame the economy on Obama. [2008-11-30]
The blame for that lies squarely on the shoulders of the so-called legitimate President Bush, who continues to make sure that he and his buds on Wall Street squeeze every penny from middle-class and lower-middle-class people.
As I write this, Bush is in a frenzy, changing laws in order to make Obama (See article below.) So there The economy is probably the biggest problem at the moment, and that's a gift TO Obama and the American people FROM Bush and his Wall Street BFFs.
Bush aides push for rule to hamper worker health protections
11/29/2008 @ 6:59 pm
Filed by RAW STORY Bush administration aides are rushing to pass a safety rule which would make government regulation of workers a rule President-elect Barack Obama opposes. Public health officials worry the decreased protections will result in additional, unnecessary deaths. It is just one of about 20 controversial Labor Department proposals being pushed by large business interests, according to a published report.Other proposals would allow power plants to be built closer to parks and wildlife preserves, and further limit the role of environmental and animal experts in determining where major infrastructure projects may be carried out.President-elect Obama has long been critical of the Bush administrationI think across the board, on stem cell research, on a number of areas, you see the Bush administration even today moving aggressively to do things that I think are probably not in the interest of the country, said John Podesta, co-chair of ObamaI think that’’s a mistake.
Excuse me, but I voted for Obama and [2008-11-29]
I have never questioned the authenticity of his birth certificate. I am not a supporter of Bush but he is our President until Obama is sworn in as President. GP, you jumped to all types of conclusions because I mentioned it was time to stop ranting and raving about Bush. That does not mean I am a Bush supporter.
Even Obama has made his peace with Bush and he is working with him. I think it is high-time you allowed for difference of opinions between dems and pubs. If the pubs want to question Obama's birth certificate athenticity, then so be it.
One that is not funded by Obama, Anneberg Foundation [2008-11-29]
or anyone supporting the republican side. You know an independent party. Sheesh - that's like saying it's authentic because Michelle Obama says it is.
Obama birth certificate. What you can do. [2008-11-29]
For those that feel strongly that Obama is ineligible to be the president due to unanswered questions regarding his birth certificate, there is something that you can do about it.
The key here is that you need to be very proactive. Posting about Obama
Many here have written extensively about this issue, and seem quite knowlegable regarding the actual facts surrounding his birth certificate, and the fact that he, in reality, is legally disqualifed from serving as president.
The many posters here who are deeply concerned about this issue, need to take thiings a step further than merely posting about this.
Here is what you need to do. Make an appointment to consult with an attorney and state your concerns to said attorney. For a retainer fee the attorney will accept the case on your behalf.Retainer fees are not that high, usually for a case such as this the retainer fee would run a couple of thousand dollars, plus whatever hourly fee the attorney charges. The more people that take this proactive approach, the higher the likelihood that the case will be heard and ultimately Obama would be removed from office due to this birth certificate issue.
In the event that the case is heard and dismissed, the next step is to file an appeal. The retainer fees for an appeal runhigher than the initial retainer fee, however again it is not that expensive, withthe ballpark figureof approximately $5,000.plus whatever hourly fee your attorney charges, and here again the more people that do this the higher the liklihood of Obamabeing removed from office due tothis sovery important issue.
On December5, 2008,this issue will be addressed bythe Supreme Court and likelythere will be no furtherance on this. As many of you already know, a federal judge dismissed this very important case, and the Supreme Court is likely to follow suit in this coverup regarding Obama and his birth certificate.
I urge all whopost about this so often and feel very strongly aboutthis issue to takeaction, retain an attorney and follow through with the case to its conclusion.In the end, with your collective efforts and knowlege about the real issues regardingObama and the birth certificate, you will have prevented, or caused the removal of,a person from serving inthe highest office in the nation who, in fact, is not legally qualified to serve in that capacity. In doing this you will have performed the ultimate act of patriotism.
Sometimes in life you have to put your money where your mouth is, and this is one of those times.
Well surely Obama doesn't fund all sources [2008-11-29]
a name please of a source you would consider credible.
Obama [2008-11-29]
You're nuts!!! The man was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Let us focus on giving our new upcoming president some support to hopefully enable him to improve many issues plaguing this nation of ours.
Obama [2008-11-29]
He is not even in his official capacity yet. There will never be a candidate you can please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Do you not see this!? Let Obama first get in the Whitehouse...jeez.
There are also those more level-headed Obama opponents [2008-11-29]
the country first message of the McCain campaign and who realize how dangerously destructive this divisive rhetoric can be. They have shown the courage and wisdom to embrace the outcome of the election and made the decision to MOVE FORWARD along with the rest of us. That would account for the additional support reflected in the 75%.
Not to worry. Obama is ahead [2008-11-29]
The sky will not be falling on December 15th.
How did Obama vote in the bailout issue..... sm [2008-11-29]
and what did he have to say about it?
To the Democrats and Republicans who opposed this plan yesterday, I say step up to the plate and do what he said. And to all Americans, I say this: If and when I am president of the United States, this rescue plan will not be the end of what we do to strengthen this economy, it will only be the beginning.
Tony Fratto, White House spokesman said, Obama blasted Congress Monday for not passing the rescue package, while McCainpolitics ahead of country.
Looks to me like Obama is just as much at fault as the *gasp* Republicans for throwing good money after bad...or is bad after worse....money into a scheme with no real plan in place beforehand. At least they made the big 3 come up with a plan.
Right, Obama himself could have cleared this up. [2008-11-29]
nm
Obama being a possible fraud as president [2008-11-29]
nm
Why wont Obama just show his long-form [2008-11-29]
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Many still not embracing Obama because he [2008-11-29]
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anti-obama question [2008-11-29]
Can I ask you anti-obama folks, why don't you like him? Is it something personal? May sound simple, but I don't get it. Do you feel he is not qualified? Too young? Not born in US? Wrong color? I am serious about this. What's your gripe?
My reasons for not standing behind Obama.......... sm [2008-11-29]
In no particular order of importance.
1. Lack of qualification, even by his own admission as recently as 2004 when he accepted his Senate seat and stated that he felt he would not be qualified for POTUS.
2. Past associations.
3. Current associations and financial backers.
4. His stance on abortion.
5. His stance on gay marriage.
6. His lack of knowledge of foreign policy. He thinks he can just sit down and negotiate with the biggest terrorist nations on earth.
7. Lack of proof of citizenship.
8. Questionable background in terms of religion, which lies deeper than just whether he is Protestant or Catholic or nondenomianational.
9. Issues with many of his campaign promises not limited to the Civil Defense Service.
None of my issues with Obama center on anything other than the above. Simply put, I don't trust him.
obama [2008-11-28]
This particular subjectis like the Everyready battery bunny...keeps going and going..(until it falls off a cliff)...
GP: I made a statement a few days ago about Alan Keyes and I still stand by what I said; Obama beat him for the Senate Seat in IL HANDS DOWN, Alan Keyes ran for President (i think at least three times). He is nota Republican (he was until April of this year when he decided to run under the mantle of the American Independent Party). He states that homosexuality is an abomination (he has a daughter that is gay and kicked her out of his home for that reason and for the reason that she did not support nor vote for him when he ran for President). I just don't like him - period.
Obama "I am the change" - Liberals want a refund [2008-11-28]
It used to be yes we can, now it's yes I can and I am the change.
http://www.bigmouthfrog.org/2008/11/27/obama-tells-supporters-i-am-the-change/
Duo take Obama birth challenge to Court [2008-11-28]
Wow, I believe we have some sore losers!
From NBC’s Pete Williams
When the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court meet on Dec. 5th, in their regular private conference to decide which cases to hear, two lawsuits that have captivated a segment of the blogosphere will be up for discussion.
Both urge the court to consider claims that President-elect Obama is not qualified to be president, because he is not a natural-born American citizen. Persistent concerns about the qualifications of both major party candidates rank among the oddest aspects of 2008's historic campaign.
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution provides that No person except a natural born citizen is eligible to be president. John McCain's status was questioned because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone and various theories have been advanced to cast doubt on Obama's.
Lawsuits over the inclusion of their names on state general-election ballots popped up around the country and were quickly dispensed with by local courts. But two challengers have pursued their cases to the Supreme Court.
Pennsylvania lawyer Philip Berg claims that the circumstances of Obama's birth are vague and that he may have been born in Kenya. Obama's mother, Berg asserts, later flew to Hawaii to register the birth.
Leo Donofrio, a New Jersey lawyer, contends that election officials in his state failed to ensure that only legally qualified candidates were placed on the ballot. Obama may have been born in the United States, Donofrio argues, but natural born status depends on both parents being American citizens. Obama's father was Kenyan.
The justices are unlikely to take up these cases for a host of reasons, not the least of which is the invitation to overturn the results of an election in which more than 66 million Americans voted for Obama. An equally high hurdle is the issue of whether Berg or Donofrio have the legal right to sue claiming a violation of the Constitution.
In dismissing Bergis no greater and his status no more differentiated than that of millions of other voters.
Other courts presented with similar challenges have reached the same conclusion, ruling that there is no general legal right to sue over the Constitution's eligibility requirements. Federal courts typically reject claims of legal standing based simply on a litigant's status as a voter or taxpayer.
The Obama campaign had hoped to end the controversy last spring by releasing his actual Hawaii birth certificate. But that prompted further questions about its authenticity, which were compounded when state authorities in Hawaii said they could not vouch for it, because they were constrained by the privacy laws.
Then, on Oct. 31st, the director of HawaiiSen. Obama which shows that he was born there.
Yes.....changed the subject from Obama.......sm [2008-11-27]
to anchor babies growing up to be president. And didn't I say that I would help you rant and rail over it when the time comes?
If a person is born on US soil, they are considered a US natural born citizen unless they choose to denounce it. They are therefore endowned with certain inalienable rights one of them being citizenship.
You know, GP, I voted for Obama and like [2008-11-27]
I said, I never cared for the Bush administration, but giveBush a break. Enough is enough.
obama [2008-11-27]
GP - I didn I was replying to a post that m left about anchor babies being legal citizens and the remainder of the post about Obama being Arab-African and the remainder of that particular post explains itself and its intent...happy bird day to u....
Excuse me. Obama did not "invent" anything. [2008-11-26]
President Elect, and has been ever since 1963. Bush had one....he just did not use it in the same way. He certainly is not exactly famous for being open and transparent. Your post is juvenile whining nitpicking, not to mention based on false premise. Here's the research:
Articles of various dates talking about the Office of the President Elect:
1. President Bush announces selections for ITA and other commerce posts - International Trade Administration, dated March 27, 1989, 3rd paragraph, page 2 of the article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1052/is_n6_v110/ai_7464165/pg_3?tag=artBody;col1
2. Memorandum #185 From President Nixon to Secretary of State Rogers, dated January 31, 1969: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/nixon/iv/15576.htm
3. Memorandum to Designated Agency Ethics Officials on Presidential Transition, dated December 28, 2000: http://www.usoge.gov/ethics_guidance/daeograms/dgr_files/2000/do00048.txt
4. Public Law 88-277 (language of the act):
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=24780
Pelosi has been pushed to impeach for years now. [2008-11-26]
Obama is not behind that. Senator Dennis Kucinich is. In fact, more than likely, Obama will NOT seek impeachment, even though there are numberous, numerous, numerous grounds for such an action.
Your birth certificate issue has been debunked so many times already, I have lost count. My best advice to you on that is not to hold your breath. This is nothing more than a sour grapes frivolous lawsuit by the disenfranchised based on urban myth. Get over yourself. Nothing is going to happen with that. Nothing. Got it?
I agree with the OP. Your post is juvenile. It's time for you to suck it up like an adult. Obama won the election. He is going to make a fine leader. More than likely, he will be there for 8 years. Get used to the idea and move on, like the rest of us had to do during W's reign. You are in for a long haul.
Yep, the same one being trampled....... sm [2008-12-02]
now and in past years and not just by Bush and Obama. It has been going on since the time of Robert Taft, but they always find a work around to get what they want and claim to be upholding the
Constitution.
Be that as it may, I think I will just sit around and watch them all turn on each other. It's just a matter of time. Clinton is too strong-willed and so is Obama.
I was just kinda shocked to see you [2008-12-02]
would campaign for a known unqualified person for the presidency. I do imagine they wll get around that though one way or the other. He is just what we need for president. NOT.
It should be interesting. I just wonder what kind of deal was really made between Obama and Hillary. Unless I miss my best guess she isn
It's called........... sm [2008-12-02]
disillusionment and resignation, GP. The more I read about the whole BC thing and now hearing that the SCOTUS has delayed the hearing another 5 days, I guess I am resigned to the idea that nothing is going to stand in the way of Obama....not the Constitution and not the voice of the people. I kind of look at the Constitution as I do the Bible and sin. A sin is a sin to God (excepting one) and breaking one part of the Constitution is breaking the whole thing. Call me gloom and doom if you want, but I have come to the realization that we are not living in a democracy or a republic. We are living in a political machine that operates at its whim without regard for our country's most basic foundations.
On the Clinton-Obama front, like I said. It should be interesting, to say the least, but you can bet your bottom dollar that Hillary is getting something more out of this than just the letters SOS out beside her name. There is more that goes on in Washington than is dreamed of by mere residents (I woncitizens) of this once great nation.
Pardon my sardonic pessimism this morning. lol
I hope you feel better later in the day. s/m [2008-12-02]
What I Both are corrupt. I don I think it was started by (whomever) to defocus the attention from the REAL issues and what is going on in our government. Oh yeah, Obama talks a great talk but I expect he will walk the walk he is TOLD to walk. I don It is plenty hard to fight evil when you know the source but when the source is unknown, then you can talk scary.
Once again, you know not what you speak..... [2008-12-01]
Indonesian lawyer DOES give the parent the right to renounce the child's citizenship to another country. The U.S. does happen to recognize this with Indonesia, so it was done and the papers were there to prove it. Only when Obama turns of age could he RENOUNCE his citizenship with Indonesia, which he has not done.
The attorney I speak of is in New York and has been doing this for over 30 years. He deals with foreign adoptions every day and each country has its own red tape and laws. Indonesia is one he has spoken of many times with regards to Obama and those attorneys who have dealt one-on-one with Indonesian law know this.
You seem to belive all countries recognize the United States.....they don't. BTW, during the time Obama was in Indonesia and adopted by his stepfather, the laws were clear that no one could go to school in Indonesia unless they were an Indonesian citizen, i.e., Obama.
And, yes, it does matter what Indonesian law says because Obama is Indonesian by adoption. He has NO papers proving his U.S. citizenship in the first place but he does have papers proving INdonesian citizenship, of which he has not renounced as of today.
Matter of fact, the only papers he has proving ANY citizenship is that of Indonesia and Kenya, when his father was alive.
Sorry to disappoint ya......
This entire political arena is a joke..... [2008-12-01]
Those two are no more friends than me and Obama. It Yea, what change, with a couple of McCain supporters just for good measure.......
Another trouncing of the Constitution? sm [2008-12-01]
It seems this will never end. IIt
Barack Obama has appointedSen. Hillary Clinton has secretary ofstate, an appointment America's Founding Fathers forbade in the U.S. Constitution.
The constitutional quandary arises from a clause that forbids members of the Senate from being appointed to civil office, such as the secretary of state, if the emoluments, or salary and benefits, of the office were increased during the senator's term.
The second clause of Article 1, Section 6, of the Constitution reads, No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
DurClinton's current term in the Senate, the salary for Cabinet officers was increased from $186,600 to $191,300. Since the salary is scheduled to again be raised in January 2009, not only Clinton but all sitting Senate members could be considered constitutionally ineligible to serve in Obama's Cabinet.
For more info........ http://wnd.com:80/index.php?fa=PAGE.viewpageId=82374
Curious, did you vote for John McCain because you thought he was perfect? sm [2008-12-01]
I don't think so. Why then would you expect Obama to be perfect?
And another unconstitutional thing going [2008-12-01]
Pentagon plans to deploy another 20,000 troops within the US to assist civilian law enforcement officials. This completely disregards American tradition of not having troops deployed amongst us and of the Citizen soldier idea of the militia, which was intended to prevent things like this from occurring.
It also violates the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which has forbid the military[air force, army, state national guards] from engaging in law enforcement unless by a declaration by congress.
Does this make anyone else uneasy?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113002217.html
Funny you don't hear the media (except for Lou Dobbs) screaming foul to the top of their lungs. The liberal news media just doesn't care about our constitution nor what our founding fathers wanted for this country.
Obama is a constitution attorney, but he is one that thinks the constitution should be played with or a living constitution, not one that is static, as it was meant to be. He's one of these that likes to make the constitution whatever he wants to make it and he isn't alone. Bush screwed us all over when he struck down Posse Comitatus and most Americans don't even know it exist.......this should all be a wake up call for a country going down a very wrong path!
This is something we truly need to be concerned about [2008-11-30]
The snowball is on a downhill course and picking up speed, probably irreversible at this point.
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/connections_n2/great_depression.html
LOL - I agree with you totally but this did give me a chuckle [2008-11-30]
Especially Heck, let as I'm sitting here picturing all the people from every country around the world applying. I say if Arnold Schwartenegger could not run then Obama should not be able to run either.
Joint Chiefs Chairman "Very Positive" After Meeting with Obama [2008-11-30]
Joint Chiefs Chairman 'Very Positive' After Meeting With Obama-
By Karen DeYoungWashington Post Staff WriterSunday, November 30, 2008; A01
Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went unarmed into his first meeting with the new commander in chief -- no aides, no PowerPoint presentation, no briefing books. Summoned nine days ago to President-elect Barack Obama's Chicago transition office, Mullen showed up with just a pad, a pen and a desire to take the measure of his incoming boss.
There was little talk of exiting Iraq or beefing up the U.S. force in Afghanistan; the one-on-one, 45-minute conversation ranged from the personal to the philosophical. Mullen came away with what he wanted: a view of the next president as a non-ideological pragmatist who was willing to both listen and lead. After the meeting, the chairman felt very good, very positive, according to Mullen spokesman Capt. John Kirby.
As Obama prepares to announce his national security team tomorrow, he faces a military that has long mistrusted Democrats and is particularly wary of a young, intellectual leader with no experience in uniform, who once called Iraq a dumb war. Military leaders have all heard his pledge to withdraw most combat forces from Iraq within 16 months -- sooner than commanders on the ground have recommended -- and his implied criticism of the Afghanistan war effort during the Bush administration.
But so far, Obama appears to be going out of his way to reassure them that he will do nothing rash and will seek their advice, even while making clear that he may not always take it. He has demonstrated an ability to speak the lingo, talk about mission plans and tasking, and to differentiate between strategy and tactics, a distinction Republican nominee John McCain accused him of misunderstanding during the campaign.
Obama has been careful to separate his criticism of Bush policy from his praise of the military target=>Michelle Obama target=>U.S. military goals and capabilities, which many found lacking during the Bush years.
Open and serious debate versus ideological certitude will be a great relief to the military leaders, said retired Maj. Gen. William L. Nash of the Council on Foreign Relations. Senior officers are aware that few in their ranks voiced misgivings over the Iraq war, but they counter that they were not encouraged to do so by the Bush White House or the Pentagon under Donald H. Rumsfeld.
The joke was that when you leave a meeting, everybody is supposed to drink the Kool-Aid, Nash said. In the Bush administration, you had to drink the Kool-Aid before you got to go to the meeting.
Obama target=>Robert M. Gates as defense secretary and expected appointment of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state and retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser have been greeted with relief at the Pentagon.
Clinton is respected at the Pentagon and is considered a defense moderate, at times bordering on hawkish. Through her membership on the Senate Armed Services Committee -- sought early in her congressional career to add gravitas to her presidential aspirations -- she has developed close ties with senior military figures.
Some in the military are suspicious of flagpole officers such as Jones, whose assignments included Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Marine commandant and other headquarters service, and who grew up in France and is a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. But Jones also saw combat in Vietnam and served in Bosnia.
His reputation is pretty good, one Pentagon official said. He and at a lean 6-foot-4, the former Georgetown basketball player looks great in a suit.
Although Jones occasionally and privately briefed candidate Obama on foreign policy matters -- on Afghanistan, in particular, as did current deputy NATO commander Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry -- he is not considered an intimate of the president-elect.
But as Obama target=>Brent Scowcroft and Colin L. Powell, who injected order and discipline to a National Security Council full of strong personalities with independent power bases.
Although exit polls did not break out active-duty voters, it is virtually certain that McCain won the military vote.
In an October survey by the Military Times, nearly 70 percent of more than 4,000 officers and enlisted respondents said they favored McCain, while about 23 percent preferred Obama. Only African American service members gave Obama a majority.
In exit polls, those who said they had ever served in the U.S. military made up 15 percent of voters and broke 54 percent for McCain to 44 percent for Obama. As a culture, we are more conservative and Republican, a senior officer said.
Obama has said he will meet with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as well as the service chiefs during his first week in office. At the top of his agenda for that meeting will be what he has called the militarynew mission of planning the 16-month withdrawal timeline for Iraq. Senior officers have publicly grumbled about the risk involved.
Moving forward in a measured way, tied to conditions as they continue to evolve, over time, is important, Mullen said at a media briefing four days before his Nov. 21 meeting with Obama. I prior to the election, he said.
The last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, clashed with the chiefs during his first sit-down with them when they opposed his campaign pledge to end the ban on gays in the military. The chiefs, some of whom held the commander in chief in thinly veiled contempt as a supposed Vietnam draft dodger, won the battle, and Clinton spent much of his two terms seen as an adversary.
But Mullen came away from the Chicago talk reassured that Obama will engage in a discussion with them, balancing risks and asking tough questions . . . but not in a combative, finger-pointing way, one official said.
The president-elect target=>Capitol Hill and whose first two-year term as chairman does not expire until the end of September, was seen as an attempt to establish a relationship and avoid early conflict. While some Pentagon officials believe an Iraq withdrawal order could become Obama target=>Defense Department sources said that Gates, Mullen and Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of the military's Central Command, are untroubled by the 16-month plan and feel it can be accomplished with a month or two of wiggle room.
These sources noted that Obama himself has said he would not be careless about withdrawal and would retain a residual force of unspecified size to fight terrorists and protect U.S. diplomats and civilians. The officer most concerned about untimely withdrawal, sources said, is the Iraq commander, Gen. Ray Odierno.
Even as the Iraq war continues, defense officials are far more worried about Afghanistan, where they see policy drift and an unfocused mission. With strategy reviews now being completed at the White House and by the chairman's office, an internal Pentagon debate is well underway over whether goals should be lowered.
Although Gen. David McKiernan, the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has requested four more U.S. combat brigades, some Pentagon strategists believe a smaller presence of Special Forces and trainers for Afghan forces -- and more attention to Pakistan -- is advisable.
Bush's ideological objective of a modern Afghan democracy, several officials said, is unattainable with current U.S. resources, and there is optimism that Obama will have a more realistic view.
A number of senior officers also look with favor on Obama's call for talks with Iran over Iraq and Afghanistan, separating those issues from U.S. demands over Tehran's nuclear program.
One of the biggest long-term military issues on Obama's plate will be the defense budget, currently topping 4.3 percent of gross domestic product once war expenditures are included.
Obama has said he will increase the size of the Army and the Marine Corps, finding savings in the Iraq drawdown and in new scrutiny of spending, including on contractors, weapons programs and missile defense.
They know the money is coming down, a Pentagon official said of the uniformed services, and many welcome increased discipline.
But itIt
Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta and research Editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Don't try to blame the economy on Obama. [2008-11-30]
The blame for that lies squarely on the shoulders of the so-called legitimate President Bush, who continues to make sure that he and his buds on Wall Street squeeze every penny from middle-class and lower-middle-class people.
As I write this, Bush is in a frenzy, changing laws in order to make Obama (See article below.) So there The economy is probably the biggest problem at the moment, and that's a gift TO Obama and the American people FROM Bush and his Wall Street BFFs.
Bush aides push for rule to hamper worker health protections
11/29/2008 @ 6:59 pm
Filed by RAW STORY Bush administration aides are rushing to pass a safety rule which would make government regulation of workers a rule President-elect Barack Obama opposes. Public health officials worry the decreased protections will result in additional, unnecessary deaths. It is just one of about 20 controversial Labor Department proposals being pushed by large business interests, according to a published report.Other proposals would allow power plants to be built closer to parks and wildlife preserves, and further limit the role of environmental and animal experts in determining where major infrastructure projects may be carried out.President-elect Obama has long been critical of the Bush administrationI think across the board, on stem cell research, on a number of areas, you see the Bush administration even today moving aggressively to do things that I think are probably not in the interest of the country, said John Podesta, co-chair of ObamaI think that’’s a mistake.
Doesn't matter what you THINK you know [2008-11-30]
One of my best friends is an immigration lawyer and also does adoption from foreign countries. He knows the laws and says Indonesia does NOT have dual citizenship.....never has with the U.S. and the U.S. does not recognize dual citizenship with Indonesia.
Dealing with countries that do not recognize dual citizenship is not the same as say dealing with Great Britain.
Under Indonesian law, if a parent renounces a child's citizenship to another country, that is all that matters. That child no longer has U.S. citizenship......period!!! His stepfather renounced his citizenship to the U.S., whether you like it or not.
Now, if Obama wanted to renounce his citizenship to Indonesia, he could have done so at the appropriate age of adulthood, but he did not. Even then, it takes a lot more in Indonesia that just renouncing....a lot of mumbo jumbo and red tape to do that as well.
Indonesia does have a law starting in ག that supposedly would allow dual citizenship, but it still hasn't gotten roots yet and really no one has been able to even get dual citizenship with this supposed law, so like it or not, Obama is NOT a U.S. citizen.
I am curious to know how many of this people who...sm [2008-11-30]
question Obama's citizenship have a passport. If he has an American passport, which I know he does, it is virtually 100% sure that he is legally a natural-born citizen and eligble to be president. The process is quite strict.
I believe you are absolutely right.....sm [2008-11-30]
and in 4 years some of the same ones who are bestowing his virtues will be the loudest of the whiners. Obama is only a man and there was only one perfect man. We crucified him 2000 years ago.
Excuse me, but I voted for Obama and [2008-11-29]
I have never questioned the authenticity of his birth certificate. I am not a supporter of Bush but he is our President until Obama is sworn in as President. GP, you jumped to all types of conclusions because I mentioned it was time to stop ranting and raving about Bush. That does not mean I am a Bush supporter.
Even Obama has made his peace with Bush and he is working with him. I think it is high-time you allowed for difference of opinions between dems and pubs. If the pubs want to question Obama's birth certificate athenticity, then so be it.
Source not credible [2008-11-29]
This is an article published by msnbc. We all know msnbc is a left-wing liberal rag. They have a lot to lose if the O is found ineligible, hence, they use their positions in the media to lie and try to sweep the issue under the rug.
The judge that ruled against the case was from Philadelphia. This judge was also afraid to rule against Obama. Judge R. Barclay Surrick is also a Clinton appointee. Hence, he wants a democrat president. Additionally, this was not Judge SurrickConflict of Interest. It is most obvious that the order to Judge Surrick was written by DNC laywers. My my...what a small world.
The case is being brought to the Supreme Court to include the above reasons. Additionally, Berg stated...
What happened to ‘…Government of the people, by the people, for the people,…’ Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address 1863.
Additionally, the people in Hawaii who keep claiming theyit is okay (take my word for it, I are none other than Obama supporters and backers.
I for one am glad this is going to the Supreme Court. If they determine it is not okay and the O is ineligible, you will still have a democrat as President, so what is everyone whining about.
GP - how many times do we have to repeat [2008-11-29]
It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and is funded by the Annenberg Foundation. Obama, Bill Ayers, and Factcheck.org all have ties to the Annenberg Foundation.
Obama has ties to Factcheck.org. In 1995 Obama was appointed Board Chairman and President of the Annenberg Chicago Challenge - A branch of the Annenberg Foundation.
Factcheck.org is part of the Annenberg Foundation. Factcheck was also chosen by the Obama campaign as the arbitrar of Obama's birth certificate.
Anyone can put two and two together and see that Obama and The Annenberg Foundation pays Factcheck.org to put out the false information.
Factcheck claims it has verified the O's bc, but other sites has found several inconsistencies which call into question whether the certificate is authentic.
Before you tell anyone they should quit reading blogs that have any useful information, you should not be citing a website that is clearly misleading people and feeding them false information, and that is paid for by the Annenberg Foundation which = Obama.
Thank you - just read your reply [2008-11-29]
Oh my gosh - I get so exacerbated trying to explain the same thing over and over. I canMom just cos your cute doesn. I guess the country is getting pretty bad when 6th graders understand right from wrong but adults do not.
P.S. - I don't have the patience to write anything more than what I do on this site.
Get your reading glasses [2008-11-29]
and examine the document for yourself. I do believe Factcheck is pretty reliable. You are not going to accept anything short of Obama being declared a non-citizen and that just ain
Credible source [2008-11-29]
I have read and researched everything about the birth certificate, his association with Ayers and everything else that was lobbied against him. I have found nothing to hold against him with the exception of preacher Wright and time will tell about that. After looking at the evidence on Factcheck, I am convinced his b/c is as credible as my own. I do not believe the Health Department of Hiawaii would have certified it if it were not so.
You can rest assured that I read everything about a subject which troubles me and Obama DID trouble me. Having heard him have news conferences and getting right down to business gives me somewhat more faith in him although I am still not convinced that he can undo what has been done the past 8 years and starting even before that, even if his intentions are squeeky clean. We are in for a VERY rocky road IMHO and we need to move on past the issues that have already been settled. The b/c on Factcheck leaves no doubt it is the real deal and the SC isn You are aware that they did not order him to produce the b/c by Dec. 1? They actually ordered him to answer...which of course he will do, to do otherwise would cause the complainant to win by default and he is not going to let that happen. It is customary in any court to give the defendent X number of days to answer a complaint. I should think you would know that. They canorder him to produce the b/c until there has been a hearing. I expect they will turn these frivilous suits back to the lower courts and refuse to hear any more about it.
No one is "whining" [2008-11-29]
The b/c is right there on Factcheck for your purusal. Have at it. I should expect that the fact of the matter is that if Obama were to be disqualified (WHICH HE WILL NOT), the election would have to be redone because Biden was appointed by Obama so how could he be the next president if he was appointed by someone ineligible to be president in the first place? Can you POSSIBLY imagine what would happen to this country if Obama was declared to be ineligible????? Stop and think about it. MAYBE the congress would declare McCain the winner after all, I don That IS what all of you and the b/c issue are hoping isn't it?
Questioning is one thing [2008-11-29]
going on and on and on and on and on is ridiculous. There is nothing that is going to convince some of these people that Obama is going to be the next president.
I think we are in quite enough trouble in this country without adding to the division and that is exactly what is going on. Anyone with eyeballs in their head can see the b/c is authentic.
I don He has run this country down the tubes. I don Remembers WMD????
One that is not funded by Obama, Anneberg Foundation [2008-11-29]
or anyone supporting the republican side. You know an independent party. Sheesh - that's like saying it's authentic because Michelle Obama says it is.
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