Schieffer Questions WH Chief of Staff on Perception Obama ‘Doesn’t Care’ about ISIS

by Evan McMurry | 10:55 am, February 15th, 2015


 

Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer asked White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough about the perception — and Schieffer was careful to add that he thought it an unfair one — that the White House simply doesn’t care that much about ISIS, the band of Sunni militants who have spent the past year marauding through Syria and Iraq.

Schieffer noted that Obama had submitted his authorization for use of military force to Congress for a protracted debate just before both branches of government took a week off.

“Do you ever worry — I don’t think this is a correct perception — but the president’s critics say and others say there is a perception out there that we don’t care. that we’re taking these things in stride,” Schieffer said.

“He takes this very, very seriously,” McDonough said. “We’ve now conducted more than 2,400 strikes against ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria. Those strikes are having a very dramatic impact. We have seen ISIS’ progress blunted in Iraq. We are making good progress in Syria.”

“I don’t want to overstate it, this is something that will take some time,” he added. “But that is precisely why it is so important for Congress to be heard on this question. They need to take a position, to say, what they are for and against on it.”

Watch the clip below via CBS News: CLICK HERE