Roman Around

Can they stop badgering him with these incessant questions about Afghanistan? Is there nothing else to talk about? Do these mainstream media one-trick ponies realize the war there is not the only topic on planet Earth? Do they not understand that their one-dimensional appraoch to journalism is going to irritate the big man to no end if they keep pestering him about it?

It must be incredibly difficult for President Barack Obama to have to deal with persistent nagging from belligerent elements of the press corps (no doubt Limbuagh-dispatched insurgents) about his plans for Afghanistan when there are other matters to tend to, such as how good he looks and how cool he sounds. It must baffle him to no end trying to figure out how the right-wing managed to infiltrate the mainstream media. Who else but they would keep hassling him about this? A trip to Asia is no place to discuss foreign policy, especially when there are heads of state yet to bow to, apologies yet to be made, and American soldiers in harm’s way yet to blow off.

In Shanghai yesterday, the President’s panties were, indeed, in a twist as yet another tedious inquiry about Afghanistan came at him.

Mike Allen, at Politico, writes:

President Barack Obama made no effort to conceal his irritation when his press corps used the first question of his maiden Far East trip to ask what was taking him so long on Afghanistan.

Jennifer Loven of The Associated Press had asked: “Can you explain to people watching and criticizing your deliberations what piece of information you’re still lacking to make that call.”

“With respect to Afghanistan, Jennifer,” the president scolded, “I don’t think this is a matter of some datum of information that I’m waiting on. … Critics of the process … tend not to be folks who … are directly involved in what’s happening in Afghanistan. Those who are, recognize the gravity of the situation and recognize the importance of us getting this right.”

The cool president’s heated response reflected second-guessing from the press and Pentagon about a process that has spanned eight formal meetings with his war cabinet, totaling about 20 hours.

The White House has been deliberately portraying the process as thorough, emphasizing the opposing views the president has considered, as a way of positing a contrast with President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq.

How exasperating it must be for Barack H. Obama. The press is so captivated, so bedeviled, with the damn war, they’re completely missing these golden presidential photo opportunities. Does the press corps ever think of anything besides itself?

David Alexrod, White House senior advisor, blames this obsession with trying to get Obama to act presidential and take a decision about Afghanistan as a symptom of the “A.D.D. policial culture.”

Yeah, it’s us.

Where was this “thorough” deliberation process when the monumental failure known as the Stimulus Bill became the law of the land in about thirteen nanoseconds?

The fact is, Afghanistan – like everything else with Barack OBama – is still all about George W. Bush.

Obama knows that the moment any kind of decision on Afghanistan is taken, the war becomes his. And the moment he owns it, he can no portray himself as a victim.

-