It’s always the “also attending’s” that tell the story:
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President Barack Obama convenes an Oval Office meeting with his national security team to discuss the situation in Iraq, June 13, 2014.
Seated with the President from left: Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration; Vice President Joe Biden; National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice, and Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns.
Also attending the meeting were Chief of Staff Denis McDonough; Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Tony Blinken, Deputy National Security Advisor; and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
After the photo-op, *cough* National Security Meeting *cough*, the “also attending’s” (aka “The Hillsbury D’oh Boys”) swing into action….
Optics – The pesky Iraqi thing is a military gig, but the New York Times thinks it’s also important so: ….we’ll do the more-grey hair blend and the quickie presser shtick in front of the chopper, Marine One:
Message: Well we don’t really know which direction will be the best political outcome based on all those pesky Islamic jihadi friendships of current convenience – so obfuscate the middle-ism’s and get out without saying anything…. (international can-kicking without actually sounding like can-kicking)…
wait, wait, wait… Don’t forget to say the word “terrorist”, “terrorism”, “terrorists”.. blah, blah, blah, that always buys us some space before we gotta do this again and the media love that part where they can think we’re all like in deep planning mode – super secrets n’ stuff…
aaaannndddd they’re off:
POTUS and First Lady head off into a cloudy weekend out west #iraq pic.twitter.com/Fb1o8eg8Rt
— Mark Landler (@MarkLandler) June 13, 2014
WH Spox Josh Earnest is travelling aboard AF-1 briefing reporters:
Nothing firm about timing of decision on Iraq, but @jearnest44 says Pres will say in close touch with natl security team through weekend.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 13, 2014