Gibbs Downplays Postponement Of Obama-Dalai Lama Meeting

During this afternoon's press briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs tried to deflect criticism surrounding President Obama's postponed meeting with the Dalai Lama -- which was seen by some as an attempt to curry favor with China. The Washington Post reported that Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama was specifically postponed until after Obama's meeting next month with China's Hu Jintao.

Gibbs took issue with that casting today, implying that the later meeting with the Dalai Lama had been the plan all along.

"There was an agreement to do this later in the year and that's what's going to happen," Gibbs said, adding that "this was mutually agreed upon."

On Afghanistan, Gibbs insisted that deliberation about strategy and a possible troop level increase "is not a political debate or a political argument." He also declined to comment on statements from several officials -- including National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones (Ret.) and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates -- that Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal had perhaps been too outspoken in his advocacy for more U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

"I'm not going to get in the way of parsing Generals or Secretaries of Defense," Gibbs said.

And as for Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) hearings today on "Examining the History and Legality of Executive Branch 'Czars?'"

"I would assume that Congress and Sen. Feingold have more weighty topics to grapple with than something like this," Gibbs said.