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Why is Obama skipping more than half of his daily intelligence meetings?
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, a new conservative investigative research organization, 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.
I asked National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor about the findings, and whether there were any instances where the president attended the intelligence meeting that were not on his public schedule. Vietor did not dispute the numbers, but said the fact that the president, during a time of war, does not attend his daily intelligence meeting on a daily basis is “not particularly interesting or useful.” He says that the president reads his PDB every day, and he disagreed with the suggestion that there is any difference whatsoever between simply reading the briefing book and having an interactive discussion of its contents with top national security and intelligence officials where the president can probe assumptions and ask questions. “I actually don’t agree at all,” Vietor told me in an e-mail, “The president gets the information he needs from the intelligence community each day.”
Yet Vietor also directed me to a Post story written this year in which Obama officials discuss the importance of the intelligence meeting and extol how brilliantly the president runs it. “Obama reads the PDB ahead of time and comes to the morning meeting with questions. Intelligence briefers are there to answer those questions, expand on a point or raise a new issue,” The Post reported. “One regular participant in the roughly 500 Oval Office sessions during Obama’s presidency said the meetings show a president consistently participating in an exploration of foreign policy and intelligence issues.”
Mountain Dog
September 11th, 2012
For starters, he’s not very intelligent.
Ray
September 11th, 2012
I didn’t read the article just looking at that picture one thought comes to mind. “Arrogant Smug F–k!” I really can’t stand that guy.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2012
He doesn’t give a crap.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2012
His Egyptian foreign policy is beginning to look Carteresque.
Bad Brad
September 11th, 2012
Hopefully the historians depict this guy accurately. Preferably while he’s still breathen so we can all hear him snivel.
On a side note a buddy brought by an AR Lower today that had Hope and Change engraved on the safety selector switch instead of Safe and Fire. Pretty funny.
Stirrin the B.S.
September 11th, 2012
At half of his intel meetings, he’s already at 200% capacity.
bfpa61
September 11th, 2012
Because that’s one pinball machine that would hit tilt if it did.
Toaster
September 11th, 2012
0bama & intelligence = Oil & water
Corky
September 11th, 2012
Because he was doing this
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/09/dolphins-dissing-president-obama-chats-pitbull-medicare-on-911-with-pimp-with-the-limp-dj.html
“pimp with the limp” what a putz.
Again arrogance and ignorance
grayscape
September 11th, 2012
Honey badger don’t give a shit. Just look at that pompous fuck!
President Obama
September 11th, 2012
“Why is Obama skipping more than half of his daily intelligence meetings?”
Shit B boring, yo!
Billy Fuster
September 11th, 2012
How can he make timely leaks if he doesn’t attend the meetings?
MNHawk
September 11th, 2012
He was there, on the high chair in the corner, the day the grownups got Bin Laden.
So cut the stuttering fail some slack already!
Anonymous
September 11th, 2012
He’s too busy watching ESPN SportsCenter and reruns of Honey Boo Boo.
schnydz
September 11th, 2012
I can’t stand that picture. I see it from time to time and all I can think is what an arrogant smug piece of sh@t. I crap bigger then him. (love that line)
Noelegy
September 11th, 2012
Because he thinks he’s too smart to be told anything.
Boobie the Rocket Dog
September 11th, 2012
That is the PERFECT portrait of Obumfuk. I’m saving it for future reference. Wish I could get a detailed copy.
Tim
September 11th, 2012
The Plan is in Motion – Intel briefings are just so many details.
Caliphate growing stronger? Yeah, so?
Putin acting up? Yeah, so?
Israel about to be nuked? Yeah, so?
ChiComs want more oil? Yeah, so?
Soros wants more taxpayer dollars? Yeah, so?
Corzine stole $1.6 Billion? Yeah, so?
Gotta kiss the canker sore on KIng Faisal’s penix? Yeah, so?
Buffalobob
September 11th, 2012
Why is the commander in chief does not attending his daily intelligence meeting. I think the keyword here is Intelligence.
Olga Centura
September 11th, 2012
Wha…you have to work in this job?
Maudie N Mandeville
September 11th, 2012
Don’t judge the process, judge the results: U.S. consulate in Libya on fire, Mob storms the embassy in Cairo, phone interview with with DJ Laz AKA ‘the pimp with the limp’…
When things are gong well, why change the formula?
well now
September 11th, 2012
The meetings are held the same time as his golf game?
Stranded in Sonoma
September 11th, 2012
Because he just told Tom Donilon to send the top secret information to the Russians, Chinese, and the muzloids because he can’t be bothered with that pro keep-America-safe stuff.
norman einstein
September 11th, 2012
Because whether he’s there or not makes absolutely no difference.
PaulS
September 11th, 2012
cuz he has only half the intelligence?
FreeMan & Sarah on Vacation
September 11th, 2012
Same thing happened to Clinton. He said he would have had Osama but he lacked the intelligence.
Once again, I agree.
fina
September 11th, 2012
He’s the honey badger.
Plain Jane
September 11th, 2012
“Why is Obama skipping more than half of his daily intelligence meetings?”
Because Puppetman in Chief knows he is not to “handle” anything unless told to do so by the “String Masters.”
So he doesn’t need to concern himself with such nonsense.
Hotlanta Mike
September 11th, 2012
Intelligence is hard work, it requires deliberative thought….
dude
September 11th, 2012
He probably thinks that his union rep will make sure he does not get fired for not showing up to work.
yourfavoriteunkle
September 11th, 2012
Is sure it is because he feels he is intelligent enough and cannot be bothered by the plebes and their meetings. THERE IS GOLF TO BE PLAYED!… just guessing.
IronyCurtain
September 11th, 2012
is it racist to point out that he really IS shifty and lazy?
sablegsd
September 11th, 2012
You must have forgotten he is the smartest man on the planet and knows more than all his policy advisers, so why waste precious golf time?
Also, he only has a couple of interests. One is advancing the muslim caliphate. Because he is a koranimal. So why bother with alternate scenarios?
Destroying the US and stealing as much money as he can are the only other things on his radar.
GW Bear
September 11th, 2012
Dem breifin’s cuts in his choom and golf time. Dey just fo stupid crackers.
Loretta in Indiana
September 11th, 2012
That photograph makes me want to shove 2 broomsticks up his nostrils!
To paraphrase George Bush — Zero is a major-league asshole!
Blink
September 11th, 2012
It’s because his intelligence cup is already full of “I know it all”. If you try to pour in any thing new it just spills onto the ground. This makes him incapable of learning anything new.
Jethro
September 11th, 2012
Of course he was there. Didn’t you see him in his special “preezy chair”? Clint Eastwood could see him….
Bob M.
September 11th, 2012
“During his first 1,225 days in office, Obama attended his PDB just 536 times — or 43.8 percent of the time.”
That’s about the same as his state & U.S. Senate attendance record – what’s the big deal?
jayne
September 11th, 2012
Because foreign policy takes savvy, guts, a willingness to consider others, and above all a strong personal identity with and respect for America, and it’s hard. Or else, he thinks Bush did such a good job he can skate on it for awhile.
jbee
September 12th, 2012
Another dumb question !!