Newsweek: What He's Learned - A Conversation with Barack Obama

[Jackeens]

A Highly Logical Approach

In a 30-minute interview aboard Air Force One en route from Washington to Phoenix last Wednesday, President Obama talked with NEWSWEEK's Jon Meacham about Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Dick Cheney—and Star Trek. Edited excerpts:

Meacham: The theme here is what you've learned. What's the hardest thing you've had to do?

The President: Order 17,000 additional troops into Afghanistan. There is a sobriety that comes with a decision like that because you have to expect that some of those young men and women are going to be harmed in the theater of war. And making sure that you have thought through every angle and have put together the best possible strategy, but still understanding that in a situation like Afghanistan the task is extraordinarily difficult and there are no guarantees, that makes it a very complicated and difficult decision.

More: http://www.newsweek.com/id/197891/page/1

.................................................


Were you surprised at how quickly your family became part of the cultural iconography?

You know, the nice thing is that, partly because of temperament, partly because of Michelle's unbelievable parenting skills, I've just got some happy, normal kids. And all that stuff that's going on around them, they just kind of miss. We have not seen any effects, any fishbowl effects, yet on them. Now, I worry about them when they're teenagers where, you know, you're already embarrassed about your parents and even more embarrassed on TV all the time. And dating I think will be an issue because I have men with guns surrounding them at all times , which I'm perfectly happy with, but they may feel differently about it.

More: http://www.newsweek.com/id/197891/page/1

[HowHasItComeToThis]

1. I know the problem that Repubs and Cons have with Obama

The HATE intelligence

[TTUBatfan2008]

20. The irony here...

...is staggering. Might want to fix that typo. :P

[BlooInBloo]

2. "but they may feel differently about it." - BWAHAHAHAAHA!!!!

[SamCooke]

3. "the theater of war": I like that for some reason.

[vaberella]

11. Ditto. n/t

[Pirate Smile]

4. I always like it when he points out that he is fully aware of the history of wars in Afghanistan.

Can anything get you ready to be a war president?

Well, I think that it certainly helps to know the broader strategic issues involved. I think that's more important than understanding the tactics involved because there are just some extraordinary commanders on the ground and a lot of good advisers who I have a lot of confidence in, but the president has to make a decision: will the application of military force in this circumstance meet the broader national-security goals of the United States? And you can't do that without understanding, let's say in Afghanistan, how that connects to Pakistan and what the nature of the insurgency there is, and what the history of the Soviet invasion was. So having some context, I think, is critical.

[Cha]

9. Yes, very important and shows

how he thinks on every subject..not just the ongoing "war" in Afghanistan.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Was the Interview really set up that way?

One minute he's talking war and the next minute talking about his kids? Seems awkward somehow.

[Jackeens]

6. No, no! They're just excerpts - full interview at the link.

[FrenchieCat]

7. OK.....

I commented before going to the link.
I've printed out now......

It must be 90 degrees in the Bay Area today!
I'm gonna go on the deck and read it.

Thanks! :hi:

[Jackeens]

10. 90 degrees?!

x(

[Cha]

8. "I have men with guns surrounding

them at all times"! What better way to make it through your puberty.

[babylonsister]

15. Haha. Think about it. Who's gonna mess with them and their posse?

Built-in fear for the boyfriends! :D

[HopeOverFear]

12. Obama: "I don't watch cable news at all".

We would be wise to follow his example.

[Cha]

22. No, waste of time for him but

you can bet there's reconnaissance.. checking out what lies they're catapulting just like we have on DU.

I haven't watched since 2002, Nov.

[HopeOverFear]

23. WOW, Nov 2002, really? I should wean myself off of it

that and political blogs.

[Cha]

24. I woke up after the midterm

elections and knew what the corporatemediawhores had done to make us lose and that was it for me..I cancelled my n00ze cabal.

And, from I read on DU..it's only gotten blatantly worse.

[HopeOverFear]

13. JACKEENS: Can you extract these pictures from newsweek's site?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/197291?tid=relatedcl

[Jackeens]

17. Flip, they're embedded...

....but if you want them I can fiddle about with them and get them in to my Flickr account, and then post them here...tomorrow (better sleep now!!).

[eShirl]

14. Star Trek

Did you watch that when you were growing up?
I used to love Star Trek. You know, Star Trek was ahead of its time. There was a whole—the special effects weren't real good, but the storylines were always evocative, you know, there was a little commentary and a little pop philosophy for a 10-year-old to absorb.

A lot of U.N. stuff.
Yes, exactly, right.

[pnorman]

16. I really LIKED that part about Cheney:

What's your reaction to Vice President Cheney's ongoing ? He's not quite twittering your administration < laughter > but he's coming fairly close.
You know, Dick Cheney had a strong perspective about national security. It was tested in the early years of the Bush administration, and I think it resulted in a series of very bad decisions. I think what's interesting is that, in some ways, Dick Cheney actually lost these arguments inside the Bush administration.

And so he may have won early with Colin Powell and Condi Rice, but over the last two or three years of the Bush administration, I think there was a recognition among Republicans and Bush administration officials that these enhanced interrogation techniques that were being applied—that they had applied early on—were potentially counterproductive; that a posture of never talking to our enemies, of unilateral action, of framing national security only in terms of the application of force, often unilateral—that that wasn't producing.

And so it's interesting to me to see the vice president spending so much time trying to vindicate himself and relitigate the last eight years when, as I said, I think, actually, a lot of these arguments were settled even before we took over the White House.


pnorman

[Catshrink]

18. Zing!

Did he call ChEEney a loser? Sure sounds that way. Now all ole Dick needs to do is accept it and STFU.

[monmouth]

19. My heart goes out to the first young man who arrives at the WH to

take Malia on a date. Bless his heart...LOL.

[Kdillard]

21. Very good questions and his answers regarding Afghanistan/

Pakistan and Guantanamo heartened me.