Reporter's Note: President Obama seems to be facing some conflict in his team over his decision on the future of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Or rather, on his decision-in-the-works. That’s what I’m writing about in my daily letter.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

The remnants of Hurricane Ida came rolling through town, so I guess you noticed the rain? I ask only because sometimes I get so busy following the news at my office, that I lose all track of the weather. I have a window, but there have been times when I just haven’t noticed if it is raining, snowing, blowing, or whatever until I leave the building. Anyway, I’m writing this at home with the rain still pitter-pattering outside and the dog asleep at my feet. My elder daughter’s high school chorus sang over at the University of Maryland tonight. My wife went, but I couldn’t make it; had to work late. But like I’ve said before, now is not the time to complain about a job. And that goes for you, too. Ha!

Speaking of work, I can’t help but be concerned about some of the reports coming out of your war room about the situation in Afghanistan. One advisor says send more troops, another says no don’t. Yes, yes, I know that every president wants everyone on his team to keep private conversations private, but in DC that’s like wanting a chocolate bar on the equator…it’s messy at best. And I must say that you are not making it easy for all your generals and advisors to keep their mouths shut.

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama is relatively rare as presidents go, because he is not a military veteran. He is, however, the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, which is the subject of my daily letter to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

A few years ago, when my dad was still living, our whole family had gathered for Thanksgiving and we went to a holiday show. During the middle of it, the announcer said something about honoring our veterans and asked them to stand. So my father and brother rose, along with dozens of others, and we all applauded. I was very proud.

Like you, I never served in the military. I considered it when I was younger and decided it really wasn’t the life for me, despite having grown up in an Air Force family. But my respect for the people who put on uniforms to defend our nation has never wavered, and having spent a lot of time around veterans I understand why we so often consider veterans for our public offices, especially the presidency. I don’t mean that as a slight to you. We’ve had about a dozen presidents with no military service in their background, and a handful more served in only state militias. And by and large I don’t recall any of them allowing the country to be overrun by invading hordes.

Still, I think veterans deserve an extra level of respect every day, because they chose to defend the rest of us; to risk their lives so that we can enjoy ours. It’s as simple as that.

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama is now pushing into Senate land with his health care reform hopes, and I’m pushing toward the 300th day of my letters to the White House.

President Obama and spokesman Robert Gibbs talk at a White House event in June.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

Aghghhhh! (That’s the sound of me screaming) Your press secretary, Robert Gibbs, today did precisely the kind of thing that drives reporters and voters crazy. He was being pressed on a question: Do you (meaning you, the president… not him, the media flak) expect to sign a health care reform bill into law this year?

His answer, after tap dancing like the late, great Gregory Hines on a boardwalk, was, “The president wants to sign health care before the end of the year.” With all respect, that’s the kind of answer politicians give, not normal human beings. The question was direct and fair. You have made it clear that you see health care reform as an urgent matter. For a reporter to ask if that includes a timetable is reasonable. But when NBC’s Chuck Todd asked for clarity, he was greeted with derision. “How much clearer could I be?” Gibbs responded.

I’m going to go with, “a lot clearer.” The difference is vast between “The president wants to sign” and “The president intends to sign.” Or “expects to sign.” Or “is putting those Capitol Hill feather-weights on notice that he’d better have a bill by December 31st, or the Times Square ball won’t be the only thing being dropped on New Year’s Eve.” Saying the president “wants to sign” is clearly intended to push Congress; but it’s tough talk with a loophole; if you don’t get what you want, you’ll just say, “Well, we never set a deadline.”

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: The House of Representatives has passed a version of health care reform, much to the apparent delight of President Obama. Now on to the Senate. Oh sure, he gets to turn the page, but I’m still writing a letter every day to the White House.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

Among the information I have collected in my life are scads of little bits which are fascinating, but of dubious veracity. For example, I have been led to believe that more high wire walkers die by falling on the final three feet of wire before the platform than anywhere else.

For starters, I’m not sure about the “anywhere else” part. I assume it means anywhere else on the wire. I suppose circus artists are just as susceptible as the rest of us to slipping in the bathtub, or choking on a peach pit, or suffering a tragic accident with a large shipment of tennis balls. Beyond that, I know that the worst high wire accident in history, involving the Flying Wallendas in 1962, happened in the middle of the wire, not at the end. So you can see why I have some doubts on the accuracy of this trivia about the last three feet.

Still, I think of it often when I am engaged in difficult enterprises, because it reminds me: Finish strong; keep concentrating; respect the power of physics; and remind yourself that you can succeed…and you can fail. And in the wake of your House win on health care, you should be thinking, “I did not win big. My party just barely pulled this off, which means the opposition is still formidable. I still have a lot of wire to cover before I safely step onto the platform and pull out my signing pen. And while this may be a show for fans of the political circus, there are real consequences involved, win or lose.”

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama went to Capitol Hill to push passage of health care reform. It’s Saturday. I went to walk the dog, then to my computer to write my daily letter to the White House.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

I’ve come to believe that your political strategy is a good bit like fishing from a speedboat. You make a great big rush and a lot of noise getting to your favorite spot, but then you just quiet down and wait for a bite. Am I onto something here? Your team came roaring into the White House in January spitting fire and promising to take on every issue in the book simultaneously. The political intelligentsia (yes, I laugh when I say that too) all beat their heads with their fists, tore at their hair shirts, and swore “It just can’t be done! You can’t take on that many explosive issues in one fell swoop, why you’ll… uh…break your desk, or get a headache, or…well, something.” I must say, it did seem impossible.

Now, however, I’m wondering if you have stumbled into an unusual and possibly effective way to wage political warfare: Get everyone stirred up; make the opposition open fire with everything they have; then sit back and wait. Wait until the public and your opponents get tired. Wait until we media types grow bored of writing about whatever the subject is (and trust me, we’ve become the kings of Short-Attention Span Land.) Wait until no one is really watching. Then roll out legislation, rush toward a vote, and hope it’s under your pen before anyone can organize a revolt.

As pure strategy, it’s not bad. First, I don’t think you can pass a “water is wet” bill without facing stiff opposition from someone these days. Second, the winds for or against change can blow with great fury, but not forever. This idea of simply waiting for an opportune moment to strike may be the wave of the future for everyone, Democratic and Republican.

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama is trying to close the deal on health care. I’m trying to get through another letter to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

So I understand you’re headed to the Hill! Good for you. That Congressional crowd needs to be reminded now and then about who is in charge, or they’ll start putting their feet up on the furniture. That said, I suspect you’ll have your hands full, so as you try to rally support for health care reform (and finally get some kind of vote,) here are a few tips to bear in mind.

1) Twist arms, crack heads, bust knuckles…all of that is fine. Just don’t make anyone look like an idiot. Even if he or she is one. My father had a saying: “It you bare their face, they’ll get your ass.” My apologies for the language, and frankly that saying was one of the rare times I ever heard my dad use a profanity. But I stuck with the original, because it loses a little oomph when you say tuckus. Anyway, what he meant was, if you are going to have to work with a person again in the future (and you are) don’t make him or her feel so utterly crushed and humiliated that you can not be forgiven and trusted down the line.

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama made a statement expressing his condolences for the soldiers killed in the shootings at Ft. Hood; the subject of my daily letter to the White House.

Fort Hood is a transition point for troops who have served overseas.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

I spent all afternoon and evening in the studio covering the terrible news of those shootings at Ft. Hood. Having grown up in a military family, I appreciated your comments as Commander in Chief, and the moment of silence in Congress. What I really appreciate, however, is the professionalism, dedication, and sacrifice of our troops every day in the name of protecting our nation. Especially when we are at war.

Right now the awful events in Texas are rippling out through our military communities all around the world. Soldiers who are facing armed and dangerous enemies everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan, are now also dealing with the news of this tragedy at home. Those troops deserve our support all the time, but it seems to me that now it may be more important than ever. Sure, as a nation we’ve wrestled with issues about those wars for eight years now, but they’ve fought them.

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama gets lots of advice. He also gets letters. Like one from me every single day.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called Tuesday's races in New Jersey and Virginia 'local elections.'

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

I understand the whole spin game. I know that Press Secretaries are paid to make weakness look strong, strength look stronger, and to keep cold beers waiting in the Rose Garden. But the spin cycle your team is running on the elections this week is sounding like a load of wet sneakers. I mean seriously, what was Gibbs babbling about when he said it was all about local issues?

If the governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey were all going to be decided on local issues, then why did you spend any time campaigning for the Democratic candidates? Certainly we have more than enough work for you to do here in the Capitol, without you flying off to debate pothole repair schedules if that’s all that it was. And if you don’t have enough on your desk, just open the White House doors to the public for about an hour and I assure you, folks will load up your calendar like Rachel Ray’s grocery list before a tailgate party.

This is one of those rules of politics. When you campaign for someone and he or she wins, you get some credit; but if he or she loses, you have to embrace some of the loss.

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: President Obama’s party was probably not in much of a partying mood as the election returns came in last night. Perhaps he won’t be in much of a letter-reading mood either, but that won’t keep me from writing my daily missive to the White House.

Aides said Obama was not watching election returns.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

Mathematics, as I’ve told you, was not my strong suit in school. I was intimidated by algebra, driven into fits by geometry, and the first time I even heard the word calculus I ran to my room with a box of Chicken-In-A-Biscuit, locked the door, and refused to come out until it was time for Gilligan’s Island.

I did, however, learn one important lesson about math and life; anytime something swings far away from average, whether left, right, up, or down, its next move will likely be back toward the center. Let’s say you had a magnificent day on the golf course and shot the best score of your life. Tomorrow, you may think that you will build on that success. But statistics tell us, you are more likely to play closer to your “average” and therefore, you will have a less stellar round. Likewise, if you have an unusually bad day, tomorrow you will probably do better. See?

Keep reading

Reporter's Note: Presidents almost always have something riding on every election, and tonight will be no exception. But President Obama is a busy man; so I’ve made my daily letter into a viewing guide of sorts for the festivities.

President Barack Obama warned Monday that more job losses should be expected in the months ahead.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

If you are wondering about the pervasive smell of hair gel and makeup wafting around Capitol Hill today, it’s coming from the political punditry crowd preening and polishing for tonight’s big event. As you know, they get all lathered up over almost any kind of election, even one of these off-year Punch and Judy shows. I’m not that interested. Some folks will win, some others will lose, everyone will sit around those TV fern bars we call studios hashing out the meaning, and by midnight we’ll all lapse into comas. And tomorrow, it will be politics as usual.

So let me save some time for you. Here are the only things you need to watch for tonight.

1) A sudden and surprising rise of the Bull Moose Party. Sure they’ve been laying low since the early 1900’s, but you never know.

2) Ralph Nader. If you have any trouble with this one, give Al Gore a call. He’ll explain, but you might have to listen to a lot of cursing in the process.

Keep reading