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Um, I Was Told There Wouldn't Be Any Math on This Exam
May 29, 2009 9:53 PM
President Obama went to grab a burger at local burger joint Five Guys today.
There he met a local man, Walter, who works for an intelligence agency -- the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency which develops imagery and map-based intelligence solutions for the Pentagon and intelligence agencies -- that apparently our commander-in-chief had never heard of.
You can watch the video HERE courtesy of our friends at C-SPAN.
President Obama: What do you do Walter?
Walter: I work at, uh, NGA, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
President Obama: Outstanding, how long you been doing that?
Walter: About six years.
President Obama: Yeah?
Walter: Yes.
President Obama: You like it?
Walter: I do, keeps me...
President Obama: So explain to me exactly what this National Geospatial ... uh ...
Walter: Uh, we work with, uh, satellite imagery ...
President Obama: Right
Walter: ... support systems, so ...
President Obama: Sounds like good work.
Walter: Enjoy the weekend.
President Obama: Appreciate it.
Ben Smith of Politico first reported on this, and provided the transcript.
While we're on the subject of presidential knowledge, please note that in Canada today, former President George W. Bush expressed surprise at changes imposed by the U.S. government at borders.
Starting Monday, ABC News' Kirit Radia reminds us, the final stage of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will go into effect, requiring travelers to present a passport or other valid travel document -- a new passport card, a "trusted traveler" card, or an "enhanced driver's license" -- when entering the U.S. by land and sea.
"When I left office, we had a whole different strategy," former President Bush said, per ABC News' Rick Klein. "So I don't know what happened."
He doesn’t know what happened?
ABC News' Jason Ryan points out that the Bush administration developed the program.
It was put into place by the Bush administration under then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
Oh … right.
THAT Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
THAT National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
- jpt
May 29, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (14)
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I would feel safer if Obama at least recognized the name of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Seeing as this is the agency that informs us when nations such as North Korea and Iran are preparing missile tests/launches.
Posted by: joe | Jun 2, 2009 1:10:14 PM
..good exchange.. just chewing the fat with a local geek.. before chewing a fatty burger..
.. I like the President's simple view, it's refreshing.. the only problem is that his inner circle is filled with cunning hyenas and vampires..
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | May 31, 2009 2:57:53 PM
Just maybe our President should stay at home once in a while to acquaint himself with the government he now runs. Nero fiddled, Obama constantly runs away to show us what a "normal" guy he is. I don't want a "normal" guy, I want a President who at least knows the names of the intelligence agencies under the DoD. Jeez.
Posted by: babs | May 31, 2009 1:00:41 AM
He's certainly not as stupid as Bush, but it's clear that he's also nowhere near as brilliant as the media propagandists would try to have us believe. This kind of story will be swept under the rug quite quickly. Or somehow ascribed to Palin.
Posted by: paul | May 30, 2009 10:33:59 PM
Tapper comes across like he misses the Bush years. He would have been perfect beating the drum for Bush instead of hammering away at Obama.
Posted by: Ross | May 30, 2009 9:23:42 PM
Who cares what past presidents did or didn't know - in the here and now it's terrifying that our current president is learning about about national sucurity in a burger joint when North Korea just fired it's SIXTH nuclear missile 'test'!!!!
Posted by: joanne clancy | May 30, 2009 11:09:07 AM
Some OBSCURE?!?!???? Intelligence Agency
National Security 101
There are only four major intelligence agencies in the Department of Defense (DoD) - the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) ...
Posted by: jc | May 30, 2009 10:53:09 AM
"National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency"
Just for context, how many hundreds of agency divisions does the Executive have? I'm not really dismayed to find Obama hasn't been diligent about memorizing the org chart, it's not like he doesn't know there are guys who do great satellite imagery analysis and processing available.
Posted by: jhw539 | May 30, 2009 10:07:43 AM
Poor Walter, he knew he'd better skidattle before he became the target of relentless media speculation maybe have his tax and personal history rifled through if he asked Obama a tough question or made him look bad in any way.
Posted by: Skittles | May 30, 2009 8:09:29 AM
Bush not knowing a major travel policy his own administration developed for years is far more egregious than Obama not realizing what some obscure satellite intel agency does not even six months in office...
It's an insult to our president for you to compare these incidents...
Posted by: matt | May 30, 2009 8:05:31 AM
re: pres. bush
not surprising, Cheney ran the country anyways, soon he will face justice in the court system he denied others
Posted by: TJ | May 30, 2009 1:36:05 AM
I bet he brushes his own teeth too!!! *squeals like girl* He knows our struggles. We are so blessed.
Posted by: andylancaster | May 30, 2009 12:30:13 AM
Love it! Orders, pays and carries the bags himself!
Posted by: Try the truth | May 29, 2009 11:18:24 PM
There might be a Chinese proverb about maps: "When lost and too far from home, go volunteer at the nearest soup-kitchen".
Posted by: MarkLeavenworth | May 29, 2009 10:40:04 PM
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