Military intervention in Libya (March 2011)
He had a very public agenda that seemed to bypass Libya. It was very focused on trade and economics with Brazil, but then there was also a private agenda, where each event of the day was sort of delayed and delayed, and we in the press corps wondered why.
In the evening, White House spokesman Ben Rhodes told us it was because he was getting briefings. The president was talking to his national security advisor, to Secretary of State Clinton, the Secretary of Defense Gates and even to foreign allies. He called the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, and then just before a lunch with American and Brazilian CEOs, he had this consequential conference call.
-- NPR White House correspondent Ari Shapiro, March 20, 2011
Pete Souza/White House
