Bush Officials, RNC Praise Obama's Afghan Knowledge And Surge Strategy

Two prominent Bush administration officials are publicly praising President Obama for his decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan.

In an incredibly rare occurrence, the Republican National Committee hosted a conference call on Tuesday in which the featured speaker, Dan Senor, a former Bush spokesman in Iraq, applauded the White House and said he was "quite encouraged by the president's decision."

"It sounds to me based on what we know that it is a very good decision and I applaud him [for it]," Senor said. "If you would haves said to me that a year into this administration that he would have doubled our troop presence in Afghanistan... Plus not reduced our troops meaningfully in Iraq. And if you had told me he would have fired General [David] McKiernan and replaced him with General [Stanley] McChrystal (a surge proponent)... I would have had a hard time believing it. So I am pleasantly surprised."

Senor wasn't finished with the flattery. While stressing that he would have preferred that Obama had made his decision sooner, he ventured to call the president "an expert" on Afghanistan, owing to the length of deliberations. "He is clearly educated about it," Senor said.

Senor also urged critics of the president to be patient in allowing his Afghan policy to play out -- a proposition that will definitely be tested in the months and years ahead. "There will be a rush to compare 2010 to 2009 and say it is not working," Senor predicted. "The real comparison should be to compare the summer of 2011 to the summer of 2009."

Noting that the additional 30,000 troops will reportedly be deployed to Afghanistan by May 2010, Senor said: "If that is the case that is terrific. I think you will see improvements in Afghanistan quite quickly."

The former chief spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq wasn't the only one-time Bush hand to lavish praise on the current president. Appearing on NBC's "Today Show" Tuesday morning, Karl Rove said that if reports of a 30,000-plus-troop surge were true, it constituted "a definitive action."

"And if the president does do that, I'll be among the first to stand up and applaud," Rove said.

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Comments

[gconners]

04:49 PM on 12/02/2009

When Karl Rove wants to "...be among the first to stand up and applaud" a decision, I want to be among the first who want lean over and throw up!

[Mark Twaine]

07:11 PM on 12/02/2009

If this is what it takes to get bi-partisan support lets forget about it for healthcare!

[Phranquenstew]

03:15 PM on 12/02/2009

Seems like Rove is the one flip-flopping. Wasn't he one of the small cabal of bushies who decided it would be wise to draw DOWN our efforts in Afghanistan before the job was done, to concentrate on Iraq? The man isn't completely stupid. He and so many others on his side of the aisle know from experience that the electorate has a short memory, so are eager to align themselves with what they think will produce a favorable outcome just in time for the mid-term elections. Woe to the democrat who doesn't grant President Obama some slack to undo the Gordian Knot took the bushies 7 years to tie.

[Deparis]

02:45 PM on 12/02/2009

Of course the escalation increases the value of Rove's, Senor's and co.'s shares in Halliburton, Blackwater, et. al.! No surprise they will lavish him with praise.

[JolieN]

02:29 PM on 12/02/2009

Not good news when Bush's officials support it. I want to see the reverse of everything that Bush did.

[BeerRun]

02:38 PM on 12/02/2009

I agree with you. If the GOP was stark raving mad then I know we would be doing the right thing.

[jdrourke]

02:26 PM on 12/02/2009

Getting praise from Karl Rove is a bad, bad thing...

http://jdrourke.wordpress.com/

[5ccccs]

01:46 PM on 12/02/2009

Obbie spent 80 plus days and countless meetings trying to come up with his own strategy. Having failed he quickly reverted to the plan that was left for him by the previous admin. But it must be pointed out that Obbie has reversed himself and is now Bush lite. Say goodbye for that hope and change we can belive in.

[TIMO08]

06:40 PM on 12/02/2009

I'm sorry. Are you referring to PRESIDENT OBAMA??

[Mark Twaine]

07:07 PM on 12/02/2009

Good for you. I don't like the Afghan policy either, but he is still OUR President ... and he still has brains and character despite this huge mistake.

[Okieborn]

01:33 PM on 12/02/2009

If Rove is backing President Obama on this surge, it tells me it is all wrong !!
Rove and the rest of his co-horts want to see Obama "FAIL" !!

[sixx]

11:58 AM on 12/02/2009

It shouldn't be a surprise as they wrote 95% of it.

[Redeemer777]

11:46 AM on 12/02/2009

Rove would applaud anything that causes a surge in his defense stocks. His praise is dishonest.

[den1953]

11:12 AM on 12/02/2009

I guess Rove is off Dick Cheney's Christmas card list!

[zest]

10:46 AM on 12/02/2009

HP please be advised that there are no long any prominent Bush administration officials because thankfully there is no long a Bush administration.

[neesy08]

10:19 AM on 12/02/2009

i am always a bit nervous when i find myself agreeing with the likes of rove, or buchanan, or scarborough. i do no this: we all need to be patient, not just with how obama handles afghanistan, but with everything.

he has only been in office 10 months, but judging from the critics, you would think it's been 2 1/2 years!! patience is a v irtue.

[Liberal2]

11:59 AM on 12/02/2009

You're confused. The problem isn't what Obama hasn't accomplished, it's what he has said he will not try to accomplish in the name of "bipartisanship". Bipartisanship is a formula for the continued tearing down of America.

[stevelaudig]

07:45 AM on 12/02/2009

If Rove and McCain praise Obama's decision on Afgh, do we need to know much more about how bad a decision it is?

[Pupadup4oBama]

07:29 AM on 12/02/2009

can we say "reverse psychology"

[janforgoodusfuture]

03:53 AM on 12/02/2009

This is clearly a correct decision, and he has made it PUSHING the military to provide him with a battle plan and an exit plan. This is showing TRUE LEADERSHIP. Being nice to the right or the left has nothing to do with it.

[Pupadup4oBama]

09:12 AM on 12/02/2009

well said!