All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

In Monday's Washington Post, Pentagon Correspondent Greg Jaffe and Associate Editor Karen DeYoung reported that Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, oversaw a secret "war-game" earlier this month, evaluating two military options put forward by the Pentagon. The Obama Administration is weighing these strategies as part of a review of the war in Afghanistan.

Jaffe spoke with CBS News' John Dickerson on Monday's Washington Unplugged. "They had a war game in the basement of the Pentagon; they brought in outsiders to play the Taliban, to play the Pakistani Government, to play the Afghan Government."

What were those two scenarios? Jaffe explains, "One is 10-15,000 soldier increase, which would primarily accelerate the growth of the Afghan Security Forces. The other was a 44,000 increase which would allow them to do what they think of as a full-blown insurgency strategy."

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President Obama this morning laid a wreath of white flowers at the Pentagon memorial for those killed there in the Sept. 11 attacks, sating the passage of time cannot "diminish the pain and the loss of that day."

"On this solemn day, at this sacred hour, once more we pause," the president said in Arlington, Virginia, where he was joined by first lady Michelle Obama. "Once more we pray -- as a nation and as a people; in city streets where our two towers were turned to ashes and dust; in a quiet field where a plane fell from the sky; and here, where a single stone of this building is still blackened by the fires."

Following his remarks, the president met with family members of those killed in the attacks as a military band played America The Beautiful. As rain poured around him, he said that it was a time to "renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still."

"In defense of our nation we will never waver; in pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies, we will never falter," said Mr. Obama.

The president also honored those "who saw their nation in its hour of need and said, 'I choose to serve,'" reiterating a commitment to "our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home."

He went on to stress the human capacity for good over evil and to say that "a day when others sought to sap our confidence" was cause for Americans to "renew our common purpose."

"Let us remember how we came together as one nation, as one people, as Americans, united not only in our grief, but in our resolve to stand with one another, to stand up for the country we all love," said the president.

About 500 guests were present at the event. Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, spoke before the president. Following the national anthem, Mullen told the crowd, "who among us can ever forget where we were, what we saw, how we felt."

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The White House has hailed today's vote in Afghanistan as an overall success. U.S. officials in Afghanistan report 95 percent of polling stations opened across the country -- including one hundred percent of the polling centers in Helmand and Kandahar, despite a quadrupling of attacks in that region in recent days.

"Lots of people have defied threats of violence and terror to express their thoughts about the next government for the people of Afghanistan," spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters this morning.

How the vote shakes out as ballots are counted over the next two weeks will be key to helping White House officials determine how much more money and manpower they give to their commander on the ground, Gen. Stanley McChrystal when he presents his assessment on Afghan strategy in a few weeks. That's according to a series of discussions with senior White House officials, defense advisors and members of McChrystal's staff.

CBS News has learned that while McChrystal's official assessment will not include troops, that he is already leaning toward a range to recommend to the Pentagon and the White House in mid-to-late fall. The general is leaning toward three major options -- the "high risk strategy" is to add only 15,000 troops to the 68,000 that will be on the ground by the end of this year -- as in, the highest risk of failure. The "medium risk strategy" is to add 25,000 troops, and the "low risk strategy" is 45,000, according to a senior defense adviser helping craft the plan.

The assessment itself is shaping up to be much like a restaurant menu -- with options to choose from, and a list of anticipated costs and hoped--for tactical and strategic effects, according to two officials familiar with the plan.

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The Pentagon said today that it will not ban the use of tobacco in the military, the Associated Press reports.

The announcement comes after a study commissioned by the Pentagon and the Department of Veteran Affairs recommended terminating the use and sale of tobacco products on military property. The study also recommended the military ensure enlistees are smoke-free.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates doesn't want to add to the stress levels of troops fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by taking away tobacco products. He also said that Gates plans on pursuing the goal of a smoke-free military, according to the AP.

When the news broke that the Pentagon was considering a tobacco ban, many voices came out in protest. Jeff Emanuel wrote in a CBSNews.com op-ed that the servicemembers shouldn't be subject to a blanket smoking ban.

"Yes, tobacco has been proven to cause both short and long-term health problems - but are we really going to preach about health benefits of their activities to Americans we pay (albeit poorly) to be shot at for a living?" Emanuel asked.

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Health experts at the Pentagon want a ban on the sale and use of tobacco in the military, USA Today reports.

A study commissioned by the Pentagon and Veteran Affairs recommends banning the product in phases over the next several years. Additionally, it suggests that “achieving a tobacco-free military begins by closing the pipeline of new tobacco users entering the military and by promoting cessation programs to ensure abstinence” – which means requiring all enlisting members to be tobacco-free, Army.com reports.

As the head of the Pentagon’s office of clinical and program policy, Jack Smith told USA Today that he will be urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to adopt the proposals set forth by the study. It finds that tobacco use costs the Pentagon nearly $846 million each year. $6 billion is spent by the Department of Veteran Affairs on treating tobacco-related illnesses as well.

The Pentagon requested the study in 2007, according to Army.com. It found one in three service members currently use tobacco products, and that the heaviest smokers are in the Army and Marines. The study also found that tobacco use has risen since the start of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, suggesting a direct correlation between combat and tobacco use.

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The Obama administration announced in an email to reporters today that the president will be paying a visit to wounded soldiers at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Facility in Germany next Friday.

Unmentioned in the email, however, was the dustup last summer, when during a campaign trip through Europe the Obama team cancelled a visit to the facility.

Remember that? The campaign said it cancelled the trip because the then-senator did not want to "politicize" the visit.

In July 2008, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told CBS News "the senator is more than welcome to visit any military facility, he always has been and always will be, as a senator…The Pentagon was willing to accommodate the fact they were on a campaign trip."

"It was their decision to cancel the visit," Morrell said.

Later, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs explained to reporters that "…it was pretty clear from the guidance that we received from the Pentagon that the trip would be viewed as a campaign stop. Given the info that we had received, Senator Obama made the decision that we were not going have wounded men and women become involved in a campaign trip."

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Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell today said there are no plans to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits openly gay troops from serving in the military.

President Obama vowed to repeal the controversial 1993 policy during the campaign, but according to Morrell, there have not been serious discussions between the White House and the military about doing so.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen are "aware of where the president wants to go on this issue, but I don't think that there is any sense of any immediate developments in the offing on efforts to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell,'" Morrell said.

Morrell indicated that the White House has not formally sent a request to Congress to abandon the policy. He said there have only been "initial conversations in their early stages" about the situation.

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An unidentified man tried force his way into the Pentagon Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

Building police drew their weapons but fired no shots. Instead, they wrestled him to the ground and arrested him.

The man appeared in front of the Pentagon entrance that sits on a major transportation hub at 1:15 p.m. He tried to push his way past security. It is not clear where he came from or what his motives were.

The man appeared to be unarmed, according to Pentagon officials.

Cyberattacks are on the rise: the Defense Department said this week that computer spies stole documents related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the Conficker worm has infected millions of computers.

Ever since its creation by an act of Congress in 2002, the Department of Homeland Security has been the lead federal agency responsible for cybersecurity. But after DHS received failing grades from government auditors, some Washington insiders have questioned whether another federal agency — perhaps the shadowy National Security Agency — would be better suited to the task.

On Tuesday, the director of the NSA downplayed reports that the intelligence agency had attempted to wrest control of cybersecurity responsibilities.

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Bob Schieffer is back this week on CBSNews.com's Web-only show "Washington Unplugged," and he has a great lineup planned.

Schieffer will be checking in with Pentagon official Bryan Whitman to talk about President Obama's plans to send more troops to Afghanistan and will get the latest from CBS News Pentagon correspondent David Martin.

In the roundtable segment, he will talk to Capitol Hill Correspondent Nancy Cordes and Washington Post National Political Reporter Perry Bacon about the president's stimulus and housing plans and get your reactions.

Email washingtonunplugged@cbs.com with your questions about Afghanistan and the stimulus plan.

Finally, viewers will hear an alternative economic recovery plan from rebel economist Michelle Muccio and watch a neat photo essay on some of those hurt the most by the economic downturn.

To watch Washington Unplugged, head to www.CBSNews.com/washingtonunplugged Friday around 2 p.m.