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President Obama Sends Off George Mitchell to Middle East: 'Compared to Steroids, This is Going to Be a Breeze'

January 26, 2009 5:30 PM

"Compared to steroids, this is going to be a breeze," said President Obama, referring to special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell's investigation of steroid use by Major League Baseball players in 2006 and 2007.

Mitchell leaves for the Middle East tonight; he will visit Cairo, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Amman, Riyadh, Paris and London. Gaza is not on the itinerary, at least the public one.

Sitting at a table with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to his right and Mitchell to his left, Obama praised the special envoy, saying "we're fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated public servant who's willing to take on what I think everybody understands is going to be a very tough job."


Across the table sat a number of National Security Council aides, from Obama's right to his left: senior director for the Middle East and North Africa Dan Shapiro, executive secretary of the NSC Mara Rudman, deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Vice President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones (Ret.), chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and Antony Blinken, the National Security Adviser to Biden.

Not seated, but standing and present, Denis McDonough, director of strategic communications for the NSC.

"The charge that Senator Mitchell has," Obama said, "is to engage vigorously and consistently in order for us to achieve genuine progress.  And when I say progress, not just photo-ops, but progress that is concretely felt by people on the ground, so that people feel more secure in their lives."

Mitchell, Obama said, "is going to be fully empowered by me and fully empowered by Secretary Clinton.  So when he speaks, he will be speaking for us."

Obama said the immediate goals would be to "solidify the cease-fire, ensure Israel's security, also ensure that Palestinians in Gaza are able to get the basic necessities they need and that they can see a pathway towards long-term development that will be so critical in order for us to achieve a lasting peace,"

Turning to the reporters in the room, the president said, "what we're now going to do is to discuss some of the details of the trip, so, unfortunately, I'm going to be kicking you out, alright?"

And with that, we were kicked out.

-- jpt

January 26, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (15)

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Peace can come if we have the guts:
1: The United States must put in place an immediate moratorium on military and financial support for the State of Israel. 2: The United States must immediately recognize an independent Palestinian State at pre-1967 borders. 3: The United States must request/sponsor the immediate seating in the General Assembly of a Palestinian delegation. 4: The United States and all members of the UN Security Council must, even-handedly, require all parties to immediately observe all applicable treaties and UN resolutions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with appropriate diplomatic, economic, and political sanctions, both positive and negative, attached to enforce such observance. 5. When the State of Israel recognizes the independent State of Palestine and the State of Palestine recognizes the State of Israel and, with the assistance of the United Nations, both states normalize and regulate their mutual and other borders in accordance with all applicable UN mandates and international treaties appropriate US economic and military support for the State of Israel resumes and appropriate US economic and military support for the State of Palestine begins.

Posted by: Paul | Jan 29, 2009 4:56:40 PM

"Lighten up, Francis" - That is one of my favorite quotes as it is relevant in so many circumstances. It certainly is here. Sometimes you just need a little humor to make it through the day. Get over yourself would ya?

Posted by: Rob | Jan 29, 2009 4:41:53 PM

Grow up, folks -- If he hadn't cracked a lame joke, you'd be complaining he was cold and aloof!! These are human beings tackling a job bigger and tougher and more important than any most of you will ever face -- if they need to let off a little steam or get momentary relaxation with a not-very-successful wisecrack now and then, they are welcome to do so. What's important here is whether and to what extent George Mitchell can help to bring about peace in an area of the world that is a powder keg threatening all of us ..... and all you can do is critique the president's off-hand humorous remark? This is real life and governing, not American Idol -- and I think this "sit back and take pot shots and feel smug" attitude is a big part of our problem. It's the opposite of being an engaged citizen -- you know, someone who can be a part of actually making things happen.

Posted by: Elizabeth | Jan 27, 2009 10:29:09 AM

Hmmm! Not George Mitchell. It is going to be a problem for Obama because of the Clinton's.

Posted by: anonymous | Jan 27, 2009 6:19:48 AM

Help me, I'm confused. Was Rodney Dangerfield or Barack Obama elected our new president?

Will our mainstream media's endless adolescent crush on this man ever end? If George Bush had uttered these same exact words ("I'm going to be kicking you out, alright?") there would have been an indignant post here about the president's glibness regarding access by the press.

Posted by: Thank God for Karma | Jan 27, 2009 3:01:51 AM

How many Republicans aren't sarcastic?

Posted by: Tom Anderson | Jan 27, 2009 1:35:49 AM

Kick the reporters out! Kick us all out! Hurry! we must pass everything NOW ! Maybe the Dummies won,t catch what we want to do! Wake up, Stand up, Now! He,s President not God. Jesus Christ gives and he taketh away.Jesus is Lord!

Posted by: Frank | Jan 26, 2009 11:58:36 PM

"Wow .... now that's change!!!!"

I love how you are at his feet ready to yip for any little crumb of pander.

Its amusing and unseemly.

It is, in fact, the opposite of change.

The Taba summit started Bush's administration and when that landed with a thump, he introduced the Road Map for Peace in April 2003.

Over the years there have been nearly 30 peace proposals.

I have nothing against George Mitchel going and seeing what can be done but to claim that Obama has hit upon a new, untried path with electrifying clarity is to demonstrate you have no knowledge of history and an ill-informed opinion.

Also considering that Netanyahu is likely to win election as Prime Minster in a couple of weeks, Israel's government is likely changing and not much can be accomplished right now.

Posted by: BertieW | Jan 26, 2009 11:37:28 PM

Wow,

What a concept. Address the Israeli/Palestine issue at the front end of a Presidency.

Wow .... now that's change!!!!

Posted by: Omentum | Jan 26, 2009 10:56:08 PM

The ABC News day to day international comment with not a word on the Obama phone call to our dear president Nicolas (Sarkozy) the First ? Less five minutes after the discussion between them today, the Elysee Press Office released an official statement about the call. Since Obama was elected, Sarkozy tried and tried again to join him. And some in the French media began to laugh about this obstinacy. Something to say ? Not really except to say to the French press he had the new US president online. Your should understand that Obama is twice more popular in France than Nicolas Sarkozy and our "bling bling" president perfectly understand the advantage he could have to share the light of the new american star, persuading himself he talks "equal to equal" to the president. So I'm waiting the US official press briefing where it will be said the president Obama have called Nicolas Sarkozy ... after Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel.

Posted by: Kerguelen | Jan 26, 2009 7:27:48 PM

He is getting a bit flippant early on, I agree. However, I (reluctant McCain supporter) wish for success in bringing some kind of improvement in the middle east. So, if this crew pulls anything off, I will praise, not condemn.

Posted by: Wade | Jan 26, 2009 7:15:03 PM

6:24. Timothy Geithner, treasury secretary confirmed.
btw, John country-first, let-me-suspend-my-campaign-
and-solve-the-financial-crisis-all-by- my-lonesome-self McCain voted NO!-i-rather-watch-the-country-burn
-in-financial-turmoil-without-a-
treasury-secretary-while-i-play-games
-about-confirming-the-treasury-secretary.
I hope Republicans have been told that non-partisans are watching their every childish obstruction-of-true-work moves that are so blatant to see. A generation of democratic voters coming generation. Will repost.

Posted by: Question | Jan 26, 2009 6:26:26 PM

PBO's agendas are all going well in all fronts and under way including Mitchell's trip to the Middle East. What a wonderful start, indeed!

Has anyone got any idea what initiatives VPJB has made as chairman of W T F on working families - Whitehouse Task Force on working families - appointed by PBO on December 21, 2008?

For some reason, ABC does not allow the three letters "W T H" grouped together so they have to be separated by space.

Posted by: two cats | Jan 26, 2009 6:13:22 PM

Sounds like something Biden would say. He is treating this like a joke.

Posted by: Ken | Jan 26, 2009 6:03:12 PM

"Compared to steroids, this is going to be a breeze," said President Obama ...

ISN'T He cute -- especially now that He's learning to spout Biden's faux-macho sports talk TOO. The entire world is just TOO lucky, and the women who were there must have been utterly charmed.

Posted by: Blue Fairy | Jan 26, 2009 5:43:55 PM

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