Yesterday, two Republicans, Karl Rove and Sen. Kit Bond (MO), accused President Obama of being out of touch with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Asked about it today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs defended President Obama. Gibbs said Obama reads McChrystal’s weekly memos, and meets every week with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen (or vice-chair Gen. James Cartwright, if Mullen is traveling).
“The President receives tremendous input from the commanders on the ground and receives input from regional commanders like Gen. Petraeus,” Gibbs said.
Rove and Bond were attacking Obama for McChrystal’s recent comments on 60 Minutes, when he said he had talked to Obama once in the last 70 days.
