Appearing on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports on Friday, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd was simultaneously critical and sympathetic toward President Obama while lamenting the commander-in-chief's poor handling of foreign policy: "...you do get the sense that there is a form of Iraq war syndrome that has impacted the administration here. Where are they doing everything that they want to do or are they only doing what they think they can do under the circumstances just because of the way the Iraq war was impacted so much of the political psyche and their own psyche?"
Host Andrea Mitchell joined Todd in diagnosing the President's psychosis: "And the way Barack Obama came to the White House, importantly, wanting to get out of two wars..." Todd continued: "How much does that drive decision-making, even subconsciously? You can't help but wonder. And you say to yourself, 'How would they be handling this if Iraq war weren't in our background?' Would there be a different – would there be a more aggressive push? Would there be more comfort in doing different things different ways?"
Earlier on The Rundown, Todd told host Jose Diaz-Balart that a "national security strategy...doesn't seem to exist in the Obama administration."
When talking to Mitchell, Todd cited an article from The Washington Post's David Ignatius, in which the opinion writer demanded: "The United States should think – and act – like a superpower."
Todd remarked: "I thought the David Ignatius, what he wrote this morning in previewing the speech, where he said, 'It's time that America act like a super power again' in some form or another."
Moments later, Mitchell added: "And what David Ignatius wrote in part was that, 'Fortune blesses strong nations but only when they act with resolve. Squandering America's real advantage to gain short-term diplomatic success would be a big mistake.'"
Here is a transcript of the February 6 exchange between Todd and Mitchell:
12:27 PM ET
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CHUCK TODD: Look, this is the challenge today and this is why the Susan Rice speech – this is an annual speech that the national security adviser gives, it's about sort of laying out the – but this is a much different time.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Is there something new in this policy that I'm missing here?
TODD: We're going to find out. I thought the David Ignatius, what he wrote this morning in previewing the speech...
MITCHELL: Let's talk about that.
TODD: ...where he said, "It's time that America act like a super power again," in some form or another. And you know, he didn't say it this way, I say it another way, which is you do get the sense that there is a form of Iraq war syndrome that has impacted the administration here. Where are they doing everything that they want to do or are they only doing what they think they can do under the circumstances just because of the way the Iraq war was impacted so much of the political psyche and their own psyche?
MITCHELL: And the way Barack Obama came to the White House...
TODD: That's right.
MITCHELL: ...importantly, wanting to get out of two wars, some would argue-
TODD: How much does that drive decision-making, even subconsciously? You can't help but wonder. And you say to yourself, "How would they be handling this if Iraq war weren't in our background?" Would there be a different – would there be a more aggressive push? Would there be more comfort in doing different things different ways? So that's certainly part of their challenge.
MITCHELL: And what David Ignatius wrote in part was that, "Fortune blesses strong nations but only when they act with resolve. Squandering America's real advantage to gain short-term diplomatic success would be a big mistake." David Ignatius in the Washington Post today.
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