Even close Obama aides say they don’t know when the President will be making the decision about whether to accept the McChrystal troop surge recommendation, and are pushing back on reports suggesting it would be late October or early November.
Today’s White House meeting with 30 members of Congress is designed to open the floor for questions, a White House aide said. Congressional leaders from both parties will be at the table in the State Dining Room, along with lawmakers who control the Pentagon’s purse strings and defense, intelligence and foreign policy on the hill. They range on the ideological spectrum from progressive Reps. David Obey (D-WI) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI).
During the meeting, Obama will say a few words about how he’s going about the decision and then listen to the group and address their concerns.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said this afternoon Obama considers it a “Q&A” session and that the president finds it “tremendously important” to get their input on both the policy and the resources needed in Afghanistan.
The White House said the unusually large and bipartisan gathering is part of a broader outreach effort, following National Security Adviser Jim Jones’ closed-door meeting last Wednesday with 63 senators.
Obama will huddle with advisers and White House staffers on Afghanistan again tomorrow and Friday, the aide said.
White House officials say Obama is not focusing on antiwar protesters — neither the more than 60 who were arrested yesterday at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue nor the handful outside the White House gates today — or on a MoveOn email petition circulating asking him for a clear military exit strategy.
