Sen. Corker: White House Meeting...‘One Of The Most Bizarre I’ve Attended’

CBS-DC ^ | 5-23-14

[afraidfortherepublic]

White House officials have been holding private meetings this week aimed at soothing lawmakers’ concerns over the U.S. posture in Syria, the future of the American military presence in Afghanistan and defense spending. The meetings come as a frustrated White House seeks to push back at criticism of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy.

But the White House outreach appeared to be having little effect on some lawmakers’ concerns.

Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described Tuesday night’s White House meeting with chief of staff Denis McDonough and national security adviser Susan Rice as “one of the most bizarre I’ve attended.”

Another senator who attended the meeting said Obama’s advisers refused to provide lawmakers with answers about whether the president plans to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the war formally concludes later this year or about the Pentagon’s efforts to find nearly 300 kidnapped Nigerian school girls.

Unsatisfied, some of the lawmakers started to leave one by one before the meeting had finished. The senator and three congressional aides briefed on the meeting insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

The meetings, which have been taking place both at the White House and on Capitol Hill, come as Obama prepares for a speech Wednesday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he is expected to try to answer critics who say he has surrendered America’s global leadership and faltered on problems in the Middle East, Russia, China and beyond.

McDonough and Rice met at the White House on Monday night with about a dozen House Democrats. On Tuesday, officials invited 14 senators — three of them were Republicans — to the White House for a discussion on foreign policy over wine, beer, and a cheese and cracker platter...

[spokeshave]

to the White House for a discussion on foreign policy over wine, beer, and a cheese and cracker platter...

I think this is what community organizers promoted to "Professor" do.

[mojito]

over wine, beer, and a cheese and cracker platter.

The 2014 Chateau White House is a delicious whine and goes best with lots and lots of cheese.

[Alberta's Child]

Or else everything else dissolves.

The good news is that the $17.5T in debt does, too.

[rwoodward]

discussion on foreign policy over wine, beer, and a cheese and CRACKER PLATTER?...

If they want to eliminate the word RedSkin in the NFL, then I would like the word CRACKER to be removed from white house meetings.

[milagro]

“District of Corruption”—BRILLIANT!

[Alberta's Child]

That's why the U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq were never "wars" to begin with. There was no formal declaration of war, no foreign country that was the "enemy," and therefore no way to measure victory or defeat.

These are nation-building campaigns, not wars. You can't defeat an enemy in the traditional sense of the term if the whole purpose of waging war against him is to do business with him.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I don’t believe we can operate on that assumption.

America we need to balance our budget, and bring back jobs to America.

[MeshugeMikey]

it DOES Must Smack of Racessism and much be addressed.of that be assured

[Alberta's Child]

I’ve read endless posts from you on this subject, but I have yet to see anything resembling a plan — or even a set of ideas — from you about how to get any of this done.

[Vaduz]

Cracker platter wonder if that is an Oman?.

[Rummyfan]

Cadets are going to love this. If I’m not mistaken, this in the middle of Commencement Week, and they’ll have to be seated at least three hours before the one speaks. That’s in addition to the discomfort suffered by having to listen to the mendacious idiot.

[KC Burke]

says: “..The senator and three congressional aides briefed on the meeting insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.”

And then they name the Senator.

Journalists cannot write intelligently.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I believe in import tariffs, though I am open to other ideas.

What do you think would help?

Thanks.

[billhilly]

To our esteemed Pres, Va is a state across the Potomac River. And uh, democrats now rule it. I sometimes, uh, play golf there since, uh Bill Clinton’s buddy runs the place.

[wardaddy]

You do know that billboard is agit prop erected by serious anti Obama folks to aggravate people

[TXnMA]

"to the White House for a discussion on foreign policy over wine, beer, and a cheese and cracker platter..."

When the "cheese and crackers" platter takes up more space in the article than the subject discussed, you know the Nation is in deep trouble...

[windcliff]

“wine, beer, and a cheese and cracker platter...”

That’s why they left early. Hard liquor would have kept them there for hours.

[depressed in 06]

I believe in import tariffs,...

Wow, right up there with raising the minimum wage. Nothing like making things cost more for everyone to get the economy going.

How about freeing energy to be competitive. Americans are great at using energy to be productive.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

I do not believe in raising the minimum wage.

I am strongly against that idea.

But we must protect American jobs. It is time to protect America.

[Alberta's Child]

Import tariffs would make products manufactured in foreign countries more expensive here in the U.S., but that doesn't necessarily mean companies are going to move their operations here to the U.S. In fact, recent trends indicate that import tariffs would be pretty pointless. Even sales at Wal-Mart are down, which means more and more Americans can't even afford the imported crap anyway. Basically, Wal-Mart is losing its business to yard sales and flea markets.

I'm not sure what you mean by "help" in your question. What's the problem you're looking to address? The $17.5T debt? Unemployment in the U.S.? Improving our standard of living? I only ask this because the answer may be different depending on what exactly the problem is.