Matthews-Mitchell Admit: Military Doesn't Trust Obama's Political Advisers

September 22nd, 2010 9:12 PM

Of all the revelations in Bob Woodwards's new book, this could be the most devastating . . .

On this evening's Hardball, Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell admited that the military people in the Obama administration don't trust Pres. Obama's political advisers.

That raises grave concerns for America's security.  In purely political terms, consider the implications given that among Americans, by far the most trusted institution is . . . the military. View video here.

ANDREA MITCHELL: This is a new president who had no relationship with the military. And what does come through loud and clear from this book is the distrust and the long knives that were out between the civilian side, the political aides, the former campaign aides, and the military brass . . . National Security Adviser Jim Jones is very clear that he feels ostracized, that he didn't have access to the president on the president's first European trip. He had to go to the president and complain.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well is it true they don't like each other?  Just bottom line here: is it true the military guys don't trust the White House political people and the other way around?  Your thoughts first, Andrea, on that one.

MITCHELL: I think that is true.  And I think in particular that Jim Jones, a Marine general, retired Marine general, feels very much at odds with some of the civilians on the national security team and is about to leave. I think that's the next big announcement we're going to have from the White House, is the shake-up on the foreign policy/national security team that mirrors what's happened so far on the economic team.