The Turning Point For His Presidency

Bob Schieffer Ponders Obama's Announcement Of Increasing U.S. Forces In Afghanistan

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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For all the time the president was on television last week, our problems are so severe that there was still not enough time in our interview to ask all the questions that needed to be asked.

With so much attention on the economic crisis, he didn't get a single question about Iraq and Afghanistan during his one-hour news conference on Tuesday.

Yet, when he announced his plan to send more Americans into harm's way, it was a turning point in his presidency - Afghanistan, for better or worse, became his war.

Other presidents have told me that not until they are elected does there come a point when they fully realize the awesome responsibilities of the office.

As I sat with the president, I wondered if some day he'll look back and say last week was that point for him.

[eroosevelt08]

By and Large, I think that President Obama has made shrewd choices for his cabinet . For example, Geithner is faced with a huge task, but I think he can do the job if anyone can. His background is just right. . All the talk about his tax problems is overblown. People often underreport their income without meaning to, and tax preparers can make innocent mistakes too.

Tax law is not all black and white or easy to understand, either, although most people I know try to do their best to report their income correctly.

I like what I am seeing of the new administration so far. President Obama is tackling multiple problems every day. He is actually working at the job! I know I could not keep up with him!

[ozus]

chuckstats,

They said that in 1932, 1964, 1976 and 1992. You had better duck your head when the pendulum swings back.

[chuckstats]

Rebublican = dying breed.

[ozus]

bobbyduck1 ,

The Democrats had the Presidency and 2/3 control of both houses in the 60s and look at the mess they made then. Pendulums can swing very quickly.

[bobbyduck1]

All you neo-whack right-wingers ARE the problem.

Fortunately we mostly don't have to listen to you any more. When the Senate goes 68/32 or 67/33 in 2010, we can be honest about just how harmful you were, and how irrelevant you are.

If Republicans had any brains, they'd be Democrats!

[bobbyduck1]

Look at the economy Clinton left Bush, then look at the economy Bush left Obama. I am already amazed at the mountains this man is climbing, while the monkeys ride screeching on his back.

v/r
Posted by aaabee1 at 1:15 PM : Mar 30, 2009

Right to the point! Thanks and Hear Here!

[ozus]

To me the turning point has been his disastrous Cabinet appointments. No President in history has had so many cabinet appointments canceled so early, because they were forced to withdraw for various improprieties.

As well, if Hillary's area of expertise is health, why was she appointed Secretary of State.

[jimmyc1955]

aaabee1 - He his not closing Gitmo and in fact is probably going to keep it as is for some time to come. He renamed the prisoners but he has made no effort to close it. Abu Grab was closed years ago. The economy was partially the responsibility of Democrats who pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to give loans to people with no income and no assets - which created the start of the collapse. If you don't believe it there are hours of CSPAN 2 footage on YouTube showing the congressional hears where Maxin Waters and Barney Frank attack republicans for asking for more oversight into the two mortgage giants.

Obama's team has made so many foriegn policy blunders it is almost as if it was intentional. Giving the Russians a button that says "overcharge" in Russian. Sending Iran a video of Obama that was essentially insulting. Giving the Prime Minister of Great Britain a set of DVDs as a gift and no dinners in his honor. Then telling the press that our historical best ally was "nobody special". Not to mention Hillary telling the Chinese that human rights are just not that important right now he knows more about building cars than anybody.

I am not impressed.

His solution to the economic crisis is to spend so much that he eclipsed the cost of the Iraq war in just 5 months. He Treasurey secretary can't come up with a plan anybody likes and NOw

[FreddyBartholomew]

Schieffers political leanings are well known. He long ago lost any credibility he may have once had as an objective journalist. Sad.

[renonv5]

The media put this administration in office.

Nonsense, the people of the United States voted him into office. I was not one of them, however, I am willing to give him more than two freaking months to try and fix the awful mess Bush and cronies left after 8 years.

[aaabee1]

Whether Obama has the support or denigration of the national media, he will work on to recoup the integrity and solvency of this nation.

And, saddled with the disdain and the finger-pointing of conservatives who were so silent and accommodating for the past 8 years on these topics, he will work on to close down both Abu Graib and Iraq, while fighting the real war in Afghanistan where we should have stayed, and won, from the beginning.

And while being derided for using the same tools that Bush brought into use, Obama will work to keep our economy from dropping lower down the well.

And the only people calling Obama a messiah are conservatives, the rest of America knows that Obama?s just this guy, ya know.

Look at the economy Clinton left Bush, then look at the economy Bush left Obama. I am already amazed at the mountains this man is climbing, while the monkeys ride screeching on his back.

v/r

[stevador39]

Obama promised to get us out of Iraq. He lied. There is no money for health care because Obama is spending it on the Iraqi/Afghani Wars and the bail out of Wall Street billionaires.

[platteman]

So far this new messiah has done nothing but muck things up. Bailouts, bs, don't bail anyone out. Let them fail. No this new messiah is now hiring and firing CEO's. That is socialism as I see it and I think this new messiah is going down as the worst president in history, even worse than Jimmy the do nothing carter.

[vranger]

"At the very least the media could give this administration a chance, is that too much to ask?'

The media put this administration in office. Remember the "Obama Halo" picture that CBS ran OVER and OVER again between the convention and election day??

The turning point already happened, and last week wasn't it. The turning point was not Obama per se, but when the media, and a growing number of former Obama supporters, started to realize from this ACTIONS that what he said on the campaign trail had no relation to his real agendas.

[thatchmo62]

How can it be a turning point when he's barely out of the driveway?

[smitvict]

OK Einsteins. The turning point is when Obama owns the wars (aka he has to stop blaming Bush), not success or failure militarily. Too many simple minds.

[ken1dall]

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves. A truth's initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasn't the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasn't flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic." --author Dresden James............. and as a result we have OBAMA, God help us.

[renonv5]

A TURNING POINT???? It's only been 2 months. At the very least the media could give this administration a chance, is that too much to ask?

[sjc_1]

It is either turning point or legacy that becomes the story to get ratings, to get ad revenue to make profits. News was never all that profitable. It was seen as something they had to do to stay on the air. Now it is tabloid and sensation and whatever passes for commentary. This is why I look online and elsewhere and the term Main Stream Media is used. People wonder who selects the stories they see...it is GE (NBC), Viacom (CBS) and Disney (ABC).

[afmcalax]

Obama has been in office less than 3 months and the press is already talking about a turning point. This is why Americans are disgusted with news reporters. They treat everything like it belongs in a tabloid and the look for headlines instead of substance. Obama hasn't been in office long enough or had enough of his proposals debated by Congress to even be close to a turning point. Why don't journalists actually report on the news instead of taking the easy way out with phoney stories.