Posted on 07/14/2008 2:43:33 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
A couple days ago at the gym, listening to a Hugh Hewitt podcast and perhaps not paying as much attention as I should have while pedaling away, I heard Hugh mention that Barack Obama doesn't understand the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. What was Hugh referring to? As the British would say: the penny just dropped. A few minutes ago, CNN's Situation Room played a clip of Obama saying this about his plan for Iraq:
BARACK OBAMA: I'm going to call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and give them a new mission, and that is to bring the war in Iraq to a close. We are going to get out.
There's only one problem. The Joint Chiefs of Staff do not have operational command of U.S. military forces. That authority resides in the commanders of the various Unified Combatant Commands. CENTCOM is the command with responsibility for Iraq [and 26 other countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan]. Earlier this month, the Senate confirmed Pres. Bush's appointment of Gen. David Petraeus as CENTCOM commander. Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno is the new US commander for Iraq, replacing Gen. Petraeus. Those are the people, along with the Secretary of Defense, to whom the orders Obama spoke of would be issued.
View video here.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
Barack Obama, Commander-in-Chief. Ping to Today show list.
Will MSM take note?
NO.
The excellent Dean Barnett article cited in the NewsBusters item was posted at FR a week ago:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042462/posts
But none of the MSM seem to have picked up on Obama’s gaffe. Hopefully the NB item will call more attention to it.
The tragic thing is that I knew that the Joint Chiefs was advisory to the Executive, and I don’t know much. I’m betting that most Senior Senators get it, but Obama is not a Senior Senator; he is a true rookie, way beyond where he should be.
However, most Dems and Obama himself will say “whatever!” if they are ever challenged on this, and never, ever admit the mistake.
Thanks for the link. FReepers are obviously more knowledgeable than Obama and his team of crack national security advisors!
Obama just tripped up a little, that’s all. He meant to say Chief Joints of Staff.
The sad part is that McCain doesn't understand it either or other major issues such as the economy. The disdain he showed towards POW/MIA issues and their families revealed a lot about him.
They're too busy being outraged about a cartoon.
“No story here” says the MSM...
Yes, but that's really not saying much, now is it?
Facts confuse them. Facts are for the lower classes.
Berry is willing to give up our hard earned victory and president Bush is not.That is the only difference Berry offers.
I’m starting to think Harvard gave Odimbo AT LEAST a 20 point bump in his LSAT...
Obama just loves the locution “I will call MY Joint Chiefs into the Oval Office” and tell them what to do. He is very much the “lording over” sort.
Big bump.
Rush has been explaining this for a week now.
This anti-American, racist jackass with about 150 days in the Senate just might be our commander-in-chief. Didn’t we have enough humiliation with that former governor of Arkansas . . . what was his name? Clinton?
First we have the goofus saying that there’re 57 states and now this. Good God Almighty!!!
That wouldn't be hard! I'll bet that by myself I have more knowledge and experience of defense, intelligence and foreign affairs than his whole paid campaign staff! I'm not including people like Wes Clark & the other generals and admirals that are volunteer advisors.
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