When it comes to intelligence briefings, Obama isn’t even voting ‘present’
Marc Thiessen asks a good question in the Washington Post today: Why is President Obama skipping more than half of his daily intelligence meetings?
Writes Thiessen:
Clint Eastwood re-enacts a scene from the president's daily intelligence briefings. (AP Photo)
President Obama is touting his foreign policy experience on the campaign trail, but startling new statistics suggest that national security has not necessarily been the personal priority the president makes it out to be. It turns out that more than half the time, the commander in chief does not attend his daily intelligence meeting.
The Government Accountability Institute examined President Obama’s schedule from the day he took office until mid-June 2012, to see how often he attended his Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) — the meeting at which he is briefed on the most critical intelligence threats to the country. During his first 1,225 days in office, Obama attended his PDB just 536 times — or 43.8 percent of the time. During 2011 and the first half of 2012, his attendance became even less frequent — falling to just over 38 percent. By contrast, Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush almost never missed his daily intelligence meeting.
Thiessen relays a comment by a spokesman for the National Security Council, who points out that Obama still receives the information from the briefing daily. But, as Thiessen points out, the administration has portrayed Obama’s participation in these meetings as evidence of his deep “exploration of foreign policy and intelligence issues.” That’s rather at odds with the reality that he skipped almost 700 of these meetings in three and a half years.
And, of course, we would like for our president to get into just such an exploration of these issues with his resident experts on foreign policy and intelligence. Thiessen cites former security officials who say the meetings are an important way for Obama and his security advisers to ask questions of one another. When the president isn’t there, that isn’t happening.
This is certainly of a piece with the reporting from Bob Woodward’s latest book that “gaps” in presidential leadership mean, at times, “no one is running Washington.”
Of course, attending these meetings would make it harder for the president to fulfill one of his other priorities in, ahem, unprecedented fashion.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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394 comments Add your comment
Linda
September 10th, 2012
9:45 pm
Common@9:27, Your is spelled “you’re.” Do you think you are eligible to vote?
I would wage my common sense against yours any time, any place.
If voters don’t understand that Obama is systematically out to destroy the USA with his policies, then we as the American people deserve no more than what we get. He’s destroying America right before our eyes.
cc
September 10th, 2012
9:47 pm
bob @ 8:27 pm:
The Kenyan and Holder do credit for the murder of Bryan Terry.
td
September 10th, 2012
9:53 pm
Linda
September 10th, 2012
9:45 pm
The only way Obama wins is if enough good people like you give up and do not go vote or quit trying to convince other good people to go vote. This is his whole strategy and with his accomplishes in the lame stream media they are attempting to depress the conservative vote.
Hillbilly D
September 10th, 2012
9:54 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxC3oAD1iUg
H.E. Pennypacker
September 10th, 2012
10:00 pm
Linda, 7:27,
You stated that Obama wanted to “heel” the planet, it is heal. Perhaps you should forego correcting the grammar of others and focus on your own,
At 9:25 you proclaimed your common sense and then asserted that the President is out to destroy the U.S. Such unsupported emotional assertions are the refuge of the intellectually lazy.
Please provide a few examples of Obama policies and evidence of causation to national destruction.
Bruno
September 10th, 2012
10:15 pm
HD–How ’bout those Phillies?? Only 5.5 games out of the wildcard now.
Linda
September 10th, 2012
10:21 pm
td@9:53, I won’t give up, will vote & won’t quit trying to convince other good people to vote. My step further is not what Romney & the conservative media is projecting. That is that Obama is not just in over his head. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s not stupid. He is systematically destroying the country. That is the ultimate goal of the progressives & they are doing it right under the noses of the American people, just like Hitler did in Germany. It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s the truth. I could cite over 100 instances,
Hillbilly D
September 10th, 2012
10:21 pm
Bruno @ 10:15
Ain’t gonna happen.
H.E. Pennypacker
September 10th, 2012
10:25 pm
If you can cite over 100 instances, don’t leave us in suspense, give us a couple. To be clear, they can’t be simple policy disagreements they must be things that will cause national destruction.
They BOTH suck
September 10th, 2012
10:31 pm
HillBilly D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJeqx_J0BE8
They BOTH suck
September 10th, 2012
10:36 pm
Linda
Really?
One thing to disagree with policy, but Hitler and Germany…….
The tinfoil hat fitting room is exit stage left……………….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKn_umW2zcY
Hillbilly D
September 10th, 2012
10:41 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N63YxKsR5-A
Linda
September 10th, 2012
10:42 pm
HEC@10:00, Thank you for correcting my grammar.
I’ve already given examples of how Obama has systematically destroyed our country. I will continue to give other examples during the light of the day when there are more bloggers on Kyle’s site, rather than at 10:30 PM. If you cannot connect the dots, I will do so for you.
I have God-given talents for being highly educated, an extra bunch of common sense, a rare communicable perspective, a gift of gab, the ability to tell things exactly how & what they are & the class of a lady, all rolled into one human being.
Intellectually lazy is not me.
Stayed tuned to be in tune.
Bruno
September 10th, 2012
10:44 pm
HD @ 10:41–Kind of a shame they blew that game against the Braves in the 9th inning recently. Then they would only be 4.5 back. Woulda, coulda, shoulda……
They BOTH suck
September 10th, 2012
10:48 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDwKuYWVMvo&feature=related
H.E. Pennypacker
September 10th, 2012
10:48 pm
Yes,I am sure you are the smartest person you know.
I will grant you the gift of gab. I will have to see evidence of the common sense, which has yet to be evidenced in this discussion.
Mark
September 10th, 2012
10:52 pm
Kyle you are really stretching this spin, but it ain’t going to work!
OBAMA 2012!!!
Bruno
September 10th, 2012
10:54 pm
HD–I’m not sure why, but your song @ 10:41 reminded me of this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu023iV_atg
Bruno
September 10th, 2012
10:57 pm
Mark–Seriously, what do you like about Obama??
Bruno
September 10th, 2012
11:06 pm
Back at ya, TBS—-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVHL_rxbhg0
Linda
September 10th, 2012
11:17 pm
HEP@10:48, No, I’m not the smartest person I know. Obama takes that distinguished award in the avenue of politics. He’s cool & slick, as well as being highly educated (we think)(no transcripts), intelligent & has the ability to captivate audiences with awe & tingles up the legs.
I’ll give you evidence of common sense. That is, that my breath & soft drinks are not causing global warming & that, even if they were, that politicians in DC can’t stop me from breathing or drinking carbonated soft drinks, that Obama has not & can not heal the entire planet & that the oceans are no lower than when he came into office.
Don lee
September 10th, 2012
11:18 pm
What a shame! All this controversy over whether Obama goes to a meeting. Obviously republicans are struggling to find something to criticize him about. Obama killed the terrorist that Bush just couldn’t seem to find. Even when he went to meetings, Bush still ignored info that warned that terrorists we going to act. It’s got to be hard being a republican right now. Even though they know that they voted for a failure…Twice!…they have to act like it never happened and they have a candidate thats not very inspiring. I expect that they will attack Obama on what he has for breakfast next.
JKL2
September 10th, 2012
11:19 pm
-It turns out that more than half the time, the commander in chief does not attend his daily intelligence meeting.
obama lies? Here’s my shocked face…
Don lee
September 10th, 2012
11:21 pm
What a shame! All this controversy over whether Obama goes to a meeting. Obviously republicans are struggling to find something to criticize him about. Obama killed the terrorist that Bush just couldn’t seem to find. Even when he went to meetings, Bush still ignored info that warned that terrorists were going to act. It’s got to be hard being a republican right now. Even though they know that they voted for a failure…Twice!…they have to act like it never happened and they have a candidate that’s not very inspiring. I expect that they will attack Obama on what he has for breakfast next.
Bruno
September 10th, 2012
11:22 pm
Some more Heart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXF-1jOPCro
independent thinker
September 10th, 2012
11:23 pm
How pathetic of you kyle – Is this the best you can do in throwing dirt at Obama??? There has been no security breaches under Obama. Even Romney doesn’t dare go there. Unlike those pathetic neocons that allowed 9-11 to happen because they had their priorities all convoluted , there has been not a single serious security breach effecting civilian deaths under Obama compared to 2900 deaths on 9-11 due to W’s incompetence. And foreign policy- Hillary and Obama have a nearly unblemished record compared to the follies under W. John Kerry was right on ridiculing the lack of experience and knowledge by you two wannabees. He called romney’s trip overseas what it was – a blooper reel.
just sayin'
September 10th, 2012
11:47 pm
Based on his perceived global viewpoints, it’s probably good he doesn’t attend.
ld
September 10th, 2012
11:51 pm
He’s busy zapping “evildoers” w/drones?
He recognizes Bush either got bad info or ignored it and got re-elected anyway?
He recognizes that those giving him the briefings are skewing the info to further an agenda of their own?
Essentially the same info is repeated, repeatedly?
Those giving the briefings don’t play golf?
ld
September 10th, 2012
11:55 pm
For any that think “independent thinker” if off base and that want to blame the administration prior to Bush for not getting OBL, I do recall something about that Democrat actually trying to do so BEFORE 9/11 — and being accused by Republicans of doing so for political reasons.
(something about wagging the dog?)
Karl Rove
September 10th, 2012
11:57 pm
Great article Kyle – get them cons believing that the socialist in the White House is going to let the commies and terrorists just take over this country by ignoring those briefings. We all know who really shot Ben Laden- why it was old man man Cheney over in Pakistan on a hunting trip who accidentally shot him – not Obama and those Seals.And that whole Ghadaffi deal was a big mistake- He and W had kissed and made up and made him our ally with military aid too. Obama just did not get that briefing. Poor guy got tracked down like a rat and killed by them radicals.
W is still trying to figure out what the US . is planning to do about that attack on the USS Cole and those 18 salors the Muslims killed.. Somebody says that was like an act of war.Guess W just missed that briefing.But we will just sweep that one under the rug and blame Obama.
Remember if you pass gas blame the commies in the room.
H.E. Pennypacker
September 11th, 2012
12:06 am
A good on topic article showing it takes more than attending meetings to protect our country. It appears our last President was warned many times about the looming threat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/opinion/the-bush-white-house-was-deaf-to-9-11-warnings.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
I too was slow to connect the dots earlier today, Kyle was not distracting us against the recent poor Romney polls, but trying to get in front of the 9/11 anniversary where the GOP will tire of hearing about Obama’s success.
Bruno
September 11th, 2012
12:39 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7QE5htyb7E
Real Athens
September 11th, 2012
12:59 am
“I have God-given talents for being highly educated, an extra bunch of common sense, a rare communicable perspective, a gift of gab, the ability to tell things exactly how & what they are & the class of a lady, all rolled into one human being.”
However, I don’t know the difference between worse and worst.
That’s rich.
Oblama
September 11th, 2012
2:32 am
Obama’s handlers tell him when to jump and how high. Reminds me of E’Gore and his ridiculous “alpha” male.
Oblama
September 11th, 2012
2:34 am
Dems booed God on the floor of the House of Representatives ….Rev. Rat is their idol.
The AntiBoortz
September 11th, 2012
5:05 am
It isn’t whether the president attends the meetings that counts it’s whether he heeds the intelligence the services provice. See this in todays NYT http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/opinion/the-bush-white-house-was-deaf-to-9-11-warnings.html?igoogle=1 .
Bush allegedly attended but must have slept throught the meetings.
Obama gets the message(s) and gets the job(s) done.
Attack Dog
September 11th, 2012
5:45 am
One foreign policy expert running for POTUS ticked of the British regarding the Olympics, stated that our biggest security threat is Russia, wants a pre-emptive strike by Israel on Iran, wants to stay in Afghanistan, and gets the endorsement of a denounced foreign labor-rights leader. I’d rather had a Chicago Thug in office than a Preppy Bully.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
6:22 am
We learned after 9/11 that the attack was planned, organized, and trained for on Clinton’s watch. Why didn’t HE stop it? And what actionable intelligence did Our President Bush have, which would necessarily have been gathered by the CIA he inherited?
Didn’t think so.
DeborahinAthens
September 11th, 2012
6:37 am
God, you people are stupid…grasping at any straw. I know for a fact Bush and Condoleeza didn’t miss the Intelligence meeting where they were told that there was a credible threat that was being monitored. They were there, but Condi Rice and Bush chose to ignore the intelligence. Got that Repugs? They heard the intelligence and chose to ignore it. Read some books written by folks that were there and stop listening to that a$$h@k€, Hannity. There was information that there was going to be a terrorist attack in the United States. This occurred several months before 9/11. Since Obama
has been President, we have killed most of the top ranking al-Queda operatives. Guess this president
can multi task. I’ll take Obama’s careful, considered actions over Bush’s deer in the headlights
bumbling any day, any time. Obama heard the intelligence about bin Laden and issued the kill order that brought an end to that POS.
#Occupy my desk...
September 11th, 2012
6:52 am
The Presidency is an inconvenience to him, it’s just the vehicle that fuels his celebrity. If he was still a Senator from IL, would he be hanging out with Tyler Perry, staying at the 4 Seasons Beverly Hills with George Clooney or playing 1 on 1 with Michael Jordan? Nope.
#Occupy my desk...
September 11th, 2012
6:54 am
Deborah, nice copy and paste…glad you got to work in some name-calling like an adult too.
AU Liberal in ATL
September 11th, 2012
7:24 am
The previous occupant of the Whitehouse attended the briefings, but couldn’t uderstand what they meant. Remember 9/11?
independent thinker
September 11th, 2012
7:29 am
It is well known that the Israelis had intelligence folks in the US tailing Al Quaida thugs before 9-11 and gave full info. on plan to hijack planes to US officials- no action was taken. They even tried getting the Egyptians to warn the US. How do you think the names of the hijackers and their origin was known to the US so quickly. What exactly did our so called national security advisor do to advise of the danger before 9-11??????
And the perpetrators of the attack on the USS Cole were known six months earlier in February 2001- US response to an act of war? nothing!
Oh I forgot—-Clinton was still secretly in charge after Bush took office and he was getting the briefings.
JDW
September 11th, 2012
7:42 am
@Linda…”It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s the truth. I could cite over 100 instances,”
Well then, enough of your inane blathering! Lets have your top ten.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
7:44 am
I guess the ‘93 WTC bombing was all Clinton’s fault. After all, it occurred on his watch, just like the African embassy bombings, USS Cole, and Khobar Towers.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
7:49 am
With three weeks still to go in the fiscal year, the federal government already has notched its fourth straight trillion-dollar deficit, the Congressional Budget Office said Monday.
————-
Heckuva job, Obozo.
Thanks, Democrats.
A
September 11th, 2012
8:01 am
SO obuma calls bush unamerican and unpatriotic for increasing gov’t spending 4 trillion in 8 years…and the buma increases the nat debt by 5 trillion in less than 4 years. so what does that make him?
this guy is one dangerous extremist. If he’s not voted out, this country and ALL americans will suffer for many years. and now he talks about paying down the debt. riiiight. you had 4 years to work on that and you did the extreme opposite.
believing you is like believing a drug addict that says they will stop using over and over and they never do. ENOUGH. Time to vote out this spending junkie.
tiredofIT
September 11th, 2012
8:05 am
You really can’t blame the republican’s for not taking out Bin Laden, after all they respect the sanctity of life.
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:06 am
” Obama heard the intelligence about bin Laden and issued the kill order that brought an end to that POS.”
Obama heard Panetta and Clinton telling him over and over that the intelligence gathered over several years before he took office was about 100% creditable and should he fail to green light the operation his presidency would be toast. After he sat in the operation room watching the operation unfold with a deer in the headlight expression on his face he allowed the revelation of SEAL Team six as the SOCOM unit that carried out the successful mission. Shortly thereafter Obama and Biden shamelessly travel to Ft. Campbell to congratulate member’s of SEAL Team Six and make their visit known to the public for political grandstanding thus endangering the lives of these men and their families. This is certainly a great president we currently have sitting in the White House.
H.E. Pennypacker
September 11th, 2012
8:23 am
Del, please cite your source(s) for the fantasy land version of taking out OBL. Just a couple of notes, intelligence is rarely 100% and was not in this case, it would have involved much lower risk to simply bomb the house so kudos for stepping up to a higher risk, higher reward scenario, how does letting Al Qaeda know the team is based in Ft. Campbell risk their lives, are you suggesting they are a forward operating threat to attack the base because he did not identify individual members?
Obama Derangement Syndrome – the cure is turn off Limbaugh, Hannity and perhaps even worse Michael Savage and educate yourself.