Obama outsmarts critics of Copenhagen trip by meeting Gen. McChrystal there to talk Afghanistan

For three hours the other day, the president's chief military adviser on Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChyrstal, joined a strategy session in the White House Situation Room by video hookup. The reason: He was in London.

So today, President Obama arranged for him to fly to Copenhagen so the two could meet in person.

As Air Force One held on the ground in Denmark, the two met for 25 minutes. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called it a one-on-one meeting in the plane's forward cabin.

"Gen. McChrystal -- his wife, Annie, is also aboard and had an opportunity to meet both the president and the first lady prior to the meeting that's happening in the president's forward cabin on Air Force One," Gibbs said.

Here's a tour inside Air Force One, which was filmed during the Bush administration and is one of the most in-depth looks available inside the president's cabin in the sky.

Today's strategy session aboard Air Force One, one of the perks of the presidency, could quiet Republican critics on two fronts. Or, this being Washington, maybe not.

House Minority Leader John Boehner has slammed the president for even undertaking the Olympic diplomacy, criticizing Obama for "going to go off to Copenhagen when we've got serious issues here at home that need to be debated."

And the Senate Intelligence Committee's top Republican, Missouri's Christopher Bond, recently criticized Obama for not speaking more to McChrystal and pushed for the general to testify before Congress.

"While the president doesn't want to hear from Gen. McChrystal," he said, "Congress does."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: A file photo of Obama and McChyrstal. Credit: Pete Souza / White House

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Comments

[Dan R.]

This is a great example of minimizing one's losses; a last second saving of face in a losing adventure. It does nothing to attenuate my sense that Obama is too disengaged in the Afganistan war and is overly reliant on his immediate aides to follow and manage this potential crisis situation.

His political payback (the trip to Denmark) to his Chicago aparatchiks was ill advised, poorly timed, and a gross waste of taxpayer dollars.

[LandofLincoln]

Yep, he's brilliant alright. 3 days pushing Chicago for the Olympics (FAILED) and 25 minutes on Afghanistan. Has this man actually accomplished anything in his life other than convincing people to vote for him? It's just a long list of failure after failure. Pathetic.

[Nachum]

Let me get this straight-

men are on the battlefield dying every day and the President only meets this man now? Only for 25 minutes? Only on his way to somewhere else on the tarmac in Air force one?

No Johanna, this won't quiet the criticism of this president.

[Talen]

Seriously??? Is this how you're trying to spin it? 25 minutes? It takes me longer to drive into work in the morning. He should be spending every single second from now until a firm battle plan is developed! Our troops are getting killed over there because the current plan IS NOT WORKING. 25 minutes is nothing more than a pathetic attempt at a "photo op", and a complete insult.

You people in the state run media absolutely disgust me, and I'm not alone. People are waking up to how devoted you guys are to the agenda. How's the subscription retention numbers over there at LA Times these days?

[Joe Schmoe]

You people at the L.A. Times REALLY need to put down the crack pipes!!

The ONLY people that believe this are your 8 or 10 regular readers! Clueless and/or lying doesn't begin to describe you!

WAKKKEEEEE UPPPPPP!!

[Art Solano, Long Beach, Ca.]

Wow!!, LA Times, I know you're rooting for the President, whether he's right or wrong (he even admitted you're in bed with him, remember?), but touting a 25 minute meeting with Gen. McChrystal, his commander in a WAR we are trying to win, after spending a whole day trying to get the Olympics to be held in Chicago, does not strike me as though Mr. Obama has his priorities straight. 25 minutes!!! Can you imagine how substantive that conversation was? Is that really outsmarting his critics? Come on!!, you can do better than that!! This will be fodder for any intelligent news media, of which you are not. Consequently, this inconvenient detail will not be covered by the mainstream media. Fox will have to do your job, as usual.

[Ramon]

What a pathetic excuse of a leader we have. Not getting the Olympics was the greatest thing to heppen to Mr. obama. It's a true wakeup call to someone that feels he can just speak and it will be done. Congratulations Brazil on your Olympics, we have to focus on more important issues at hand, like employement hitting close to 10%, Banks failing weekly, Iran, N. Korea, Israel, Health care, Iraq, and so on.

[MESA ARIZONA]

WOULD LIKE THE MONEY PUT BACK INTO ARE BANK ACCOUNT FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.IF YOU HAVE FORGOTTON ITS THE ONES YOU LEFT IN YOUR SLUMS IN CHICAGO NEXT DOOR TO OPRAH AND ALL THE CZARS YOU YOOK WITH YOU FOR A SIGHT SEEING TOUR.LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOWS SERVICEMEN'S BODY,CHILD IN THE STREETS FROM BEING STUMPED BY CLASSMATES THAT THEY THINK THEIR" THE MAN"BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. THE MOTHER CRYING IN THE STREETS SAYING MY CHIL IS HUGERY AND COLD SEND YOUR PLANE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. BUILD US A SCHOOL EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE THAT TO BE A MAN OUR CAPS OUR IN FRONT SIGHN LANGUAGE YOU USE IS JUST SHOWNG YOUR AGE,LANGUAGE WAS MEANT FOR COMUNICATION NOT TO SLUM-IT. MR.PRESIDENT WE VOTED YOU TO MAKE A CHANGE SHOW US WHAT A 'REAL MAN IS' FOR VTHE MAB BEHIND THE GLASS IS BEING CLOSED AND HE SAYING I'DID NOT WANT TO DIE TODAY DO NOT CLOSE THAT LID.YOU PROMISED THAT YOUR THE MAN.

[steve rodriguez]

It's official the LA Times has become the official marching and chowder society for Barrack Obama!!!!!!

[steve rodriguez]

Obama cares more about getting the Olympics for Chicago, than he cares about the war in Afghanistan!!!!

[Uncle Bernie]

man oh man has Neuman drunk the Kool Aid.

[Russ]

Looks like the Republicans jumped the gun again and ended up looking like the self-centered fools they are.