President Obama is catching as much heat from Democrats as Republicans these days over his strategy to combat the Islamic State. And a House hearing on Thursday was no exception, with congressman Adam Smith (D, Wash.) criticizing the president’s messaging on the conflict and “tasking” Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel with fixing it.
Hagel had just finished explaining how “critical” it is that the American people understand the strategy being pursued by the U.S. military against the jihadists entrenched in Iraq and Syria, emphasizing in particular that no U.S. ground troops will be deployed.
“Yeah, on the boots on the ground point,” Smith began, “I think the problem is that, and the president and many people have the instinct that the country, as we witnessed from the protesters, we just don’t want to go back into another war. And everyone’s very concerned about that, and the president is seeking to reassure those folks.”
But Smith also said he agreed with an earlier criticism from committee chairman Buck McKeon’s (R, Calif.), saying the White House should explain that they’re refusing to send in troops not “because it will upset people” but because “we don’t think it’ll work.” But “too often,” he continued, “it sounds like he’s in the former camp.”
“So both Buck and I will task you with going to the president and working on his messaging,” Smith said. “It is important how it’s presented to the American people, and how we build support for this program.”
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