Joint Chiefs Chairman "Felt Very Good, Very Positive" After Meeting With Obama

Washington Post:

Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went unarmed into his first meeting with the new commander in chief -- no aides, no PowerPoint presentation, no briefing books. Summoned nine days ago to President-elect Barack Obama's Chicago transition office, Mullen showed up with just a pad, a pen and a desire to take the measure of his incoming boss.

There was little talk of exiting Iraq or beefing up the U.S. force in Afghanistan; the one-on-one, 45-minute conversation ranged from the personal to the philosophical. Mullen came away with what he wanted: a view of the next president as a non-ideological pragmatist who was willing to both listen and lead. After the meeting, the chairman "felt very good, very positive," according to Mullen spokesman Capt. John Kirby.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Shanti]

I would much rather have had the headline read: JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN NOT HAPPY AFTER MEETING OBAMA.

[quantumspin]

Isn't that special?

The Military is our most dangerous branch and the most expensive too, and growing.

Agree with a poster here who said if Obama were to go against the military, he' d be in for it, just as
JFK was.

http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm

[marignymitch]

I'm glad that humble Obama, hat-in-hand, is passing muster among the brass. Otherwise we'd be facing a military take-over?

[airvlad]

A bit misleading, but nice picture of Adm. Michael Mullen, in front of Serbian flag and Coat of Arms guarded by Serbian soldier.

[motoGpifupleez]

The first thing out of Mullens' mouth about Obama was that he better not change the Bush doctrine. Advice to President-Elect Obama: Sack Mullens on day one. Go Harry Truman on him. There is only on Commander-in-Cheif and we sure didn't elect Mullens!

[andyboy]

He's happy Obama is going to keep the gravy train a rolling along that's all. It's accepted poicy that we'll have to be engaged militarily somewhere in the Middle East forever and a day. We have to "fight" the terrorists. I wonder how they mounted that attack in Mumbai? I thought we were winning? Look at it and see it for what it is. Ten guys aged 20-25 carried out the attacks in India. There is no army or special forces group who could have stopped it. No intelligence discovered the plot.

The overall strategy of deploying troops to foreign lands in a noble but completely futile effort to battle the forces of terrorism is largely symbolic. All other considerations are economic in nature. As is usually the case. The armed forces and spooks are literally bathing in cash. They are experiencing a surge in funding the likes of which man has never seen. These are the good old days.

And look at what they do. Essentially nothing. No pitched battles. No large loss of life. No desperate attacks on enemy outposts. Ride around in tanks. Patrol. Look suspiciously at every muslim man or woman or child you see. They might be the bad guy. Might not. Who knows? Who cares?

[stanschurman]

The headline reads as if Mullen was interviewing Obama for the job as president. More to the point would be does Obama feel "very good, very positive" about Mullen.

[Stilts9]

Oh Goody! Obama is accepted by the US Military!!!!

I'm sure glad the US Military has been making such great decisions lately!!

[KeysDan]

The annual Pentagon budget, plus the yearly "off-budget" Iraq and Afghanistan is greater than the much ballyhooed $700 Billion bailout for Wall Street and banks. The Joint Chiefs want to size up the prospects for continuing their largesse. Hope the meeting did not go too well for them, but we have to wait and see and hope for change.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Man, what a bunch of fvcking retards the lot of you are. Bunch whiny babies. Because the army now accepts Obama, that means he is one of them? WTF kind of logic is that? As they say, the liberals are never happy and prefer to eat their young. Once more, you have proven the point and have opened the door for the Rethugs to make fun. BRAVO, seriously, I applaud you bunch of pansies

[punk]

You can't become president without first being approved by the military industrial media complex.

[innerpeace]

You can't become the leader of any country unless you sell out to the true powers that exist in that country.That's life with humans.

[BushSunkOurShip]

If one has not heard or seen the problems with the republicans criminals and what they call the moderate center ,, which has totally destroy our country in the past eight years , then why would any one want to hear their complaints about liberal democrats.
Liberal Democrats are sick and tired of republicans calling themselves center moderates with their lies , destruction to our constitution , laws , economy , freedom , honor ,,,, for their one party dictatorial control over the wealth . power and citizens of our country...
What is really funny is their waving of our flag and quoting of a verse from the bible while they follow either...
Talk about wearing panties , Bush , Cheney , Rove and other moderate war hawks in his administration when through many pairs when they were afraid they would be called to serve their country when it was their time.
Obama stated that he was going to cut the tax welfare giving to the elitist , stop the tax welfare for corporations which have taken their businesses overseas , investigate the criminal crimes of Bush's administration , start pulling troops from Iraq and create jobs for Americans...Now his "words" are back peddling on his statements.

[globalcitizenlinda]

Most people seem to have missed what Barack said during the campaign which is that: "I will listen closely to what the millitary on the ground says but I as President will set the vision and mission and ask the Joint-Chiefs-of Staff to exceute it. ------- The Buck stops with me ".

People seem to forget that Barack is a constitutional law professor aand as such understands that the president is in charge and the millitary brass HAVE to follow the presidential orders

[FebM]

Agreed and the super power of the US comes from fundamentally from its Constitution, thats what sets this country apart. The economic and military might are the expressions of the creeds of that document. Obama is clear about that.

[Ihaveadream]

What a bunch of arrogant A**HOLES. Obama needs to clean house at the Pentagon.

[rollingdivision]

But he's not for change, he's for better executing Bush foreign and military policy.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Don't you have something better to do? You bring nothing to this table.

[bygollymissmolly]

Poor baby. You do need to learn to do something constructive with all the anger and bitterness you are feeling having lost and lost badly. It's making you say really dumb things.

[harriscrl3]

THe only agenda of Bush that Obama wants to execute is the war in Afghanistan and he has NEVER been shy to say so. The problem is as I've said folks just dont know how to listen when he speaks. The war in Iraq he wants to draw down troops he said so even on 60 minutes the other night. Petareous and others are now say they believe they can work with his timetable. So this thing about better executing Bush's foreign policy beyond Afghanistan is NOT TRUE but I suspect you KNOW this. ITs sad that some liberals fall for your crap rather than listening to what comes out of Obama's mouth.

Carol

[punk]

It doesn't matter whether the Joint Chiefs "feel very good" about Obama. They are his subordinates. The question to ask is, "Does President-Elect Obama feel good about the joint chiefs?"

[SamiSam]

Amen!

[OliverTwist]

One serious long term danger to our democracy is a military which sees itself as a separate voting block, interest group, or power center.

The ways in which members of the military are chosen, trained, and taught, as well as the ways in which they are treated by the government has an impact on whether they are a benefit or also a threat.

The Marine Corps elite has turned that force into a group who see themselves as having superior values and look down on much of the rest of the people of America. There was a book about that which is very popular in the military. (Anybody remember the title?)

The Air Force elite has done that and has also turned that force into a hotbed of religious fanaticism.

Military people who advance the proposition that they have superior wisdom to the citizens and their chosen politicians have traditionally been a danger. Especially when a war is winding down and they are looking for new things to "set right."

While I don't think the danger is imminent, we have let the military develop a some unhealthy attitudes and this article reflects those attitudes.

Maybe some changes would be good.

[Belisarius]

Would you like our military to be more like the Dutch army?

Do you remember in 2006 when the Netherlands awarded medals to Dutch peacekeepers who stood by idly during the infamous 1995 massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica. You may remember the the TV images of Dutch soldiers hand-cuffed to trees. These "heroes" threw down their rifles at the first confrontation and allowed the people that they were there to protect to be slaughtered. And their grateful country awarded medals - I am not joking.

If you don't remember, here is a link:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/119078.html

The problem with our military is a president and congress that allows them to be used for stupid and/or immoral purposes and a citizenry that does not throw the congress out when it has the chance at the polls.

[punk]

Perhaps the Dutch don't believe in babysitting the world. We should follow their example.

[mcantwell]

Surprisingly, this is the second day in a row that the Washington Post actually had a decent article.