Keep Those Lines Drawn

From the UK Telegraph the headline reads, "Barack Obama angry at General Stanley McChrystal speech on Afghanistan."  A headline linking to the same story goes as far to say "furious."  Nowhere in the article does it state that Barack Obama is angry at the General.  Very misleading.  What he does state (emphasis mine) is that "According to sources close to the administration, Gen McChrystal shocked and angered presidential advisers with the bluntness of a speech given in London last week."   From the very beginning the author places all blame squarely on the shoulders of General McChrystal. "The relationship between President Barack Obama and the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has been put under severe strain by Gen Stanley McChrystal's comments on strategy for the war."

Really?  The strain between the President and the General is solely because of General McChrystal's comments and not Obama's lack of apparent interest in  having discussions with the General in a timely fashion?  The author continues to make assumptions that are based on nothing, such as his comment that the General was "summoned to an awkward 25-minute face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen, where the president had arrived to tout Chicago's unsuccessful Olympic bid."  Awkward for whom?  Obama's out trying to win an Olympic bid for his home city while General McChrystal is still waiting on a discussion of his report on Afghanistan from back on August 31st.  A report that Obama himself asked for.  If anyone should feel awkward it's Obama for having some jacked up priorities.

Maybe Obama was so busy for over a month that he didn't have time for the General.  Well, what's he been up to?  Here's a short list.  Some of the days he was busy with more than what I listed.

September 1st - Briefing discussing "preparedness and response efforts" surrounding H1N1
September 2nd - Phoned Japanese Democratic Party President Yukio Hatoyama to wish congratulations on results of lower house elections.
September 3rd - Announced intent to nominate 3 individuals to key administration positions.
September 4th - Requested the 12.1 trillion dollar statutory debt limit be raised.
September 5th - Announced new steps to make it easier for American families to save for retirement.
September 6th - Found no activity.  Seems like a good day to talk to McChrystal!
September 7th - Gave remarks at the AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic.
September 8th - Gave speech to school kids.
September 9th - Speech to joint sessions of congress on health care reform. (You Lie!)
September 10th - Another speech on health care reform.
September 11th - Delivered remarks and participated in wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of 9/11
September 12th - Traveled to MN for another health care reform rally.
September 13th - Rumor has it he took in a televised football game.  Call McChrystal maybe? No?  Hm.
September 14th - Traveled to NY and gave remarks on financial issues.
September 15th - Traveled to Ohio for a roundtable with auto workers and gave remarks on economy.
September 16th - Promoted Chicago's bid for 2016 Summer Olympics.
September 17th -  Addressed health care reform in MD, announced H1N1 continued fight, and nominated Ben Bernanke for reappointment (chair of FED).
September 18th - Did taped interviews with morning shows on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, and Univison

September 19th - Discusses "Global economic crisis." (all activity I could find, perhaps another chance to call the General.  No?  Hm.)
September 20th - Found no activity.  Perhaps another chance to call the General?  No?  Hm.
September 21st - Appeared on the David Letterman show.
September 22nd - Delivered remarks at Climate Change Summit.
September 23rd - Addresses the UN and also has several meetings with foreign leaders.
September 24th - Hosted G-20 Summit in PA.
September 25th - Held news conference at end of G-20.
September 26th - Addressed the Congressional Black Caucus.  (annual Phoenix Awards Dinner)
September 27th - Took family members on a monument tour.
September 28th - Announced that the President will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark on October 1 to support Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
September 29th - Met with NATO Secretary General in Oval Office.  Afterward, held a joint press conference.
September 30th - Has FIRST INTERACTION with General McChrystal

In no way am I saying President Obama was not busy or that any of the above listed activities were unimportant but what I am saying is that when it comes to our military, they should be much higher on the list or priorities than they seem to be right now.  In McChrystals August 31st report he said, "The situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and demands a revised implementation strategy, commitment and resolve, and increased unity of effort."  There should have been a much quicker response to this report then there was.  American lives are indeed at risk and with a situation deemed serious and in need of revision, room should have been made to sit down with the General much much earlier.

As a side, one of the worst ways to hide your political sympathies is to use the phrase "critics say" right before a claim.  Obviously whatever you are about to claim is going to be in opposition of your view on the topic.  However, it is unfair to say that an obvious fact made aware to you or the public is strictly from a "critic."  At the end of the Telegraph's report the author states, "Critics also pointed out that before their Copenhagen encounter Mr Obama had only met Gen McChrystal once since his appointment in June."  The fact that Obama only had one meeting with the General since his June appointment is not simply a claim from critics, it's a documented fact.  Obama did indeed only have one meeting with General McChrystal since his appointment.  This sort of partisan journalism is consistent as it falls in line with other lunacy like the leftist complaints about smear campaigns.  Smear campaigns that used video evidence and quoted documentation.  It's things like this that keep those lines drawn and prevent unity from ever becoming a reality.