OMG there were disagreements in the White House

Bob Woodward has a new book about the Obama administration, and it seems that the “big reveal” of it is that there have been some big disagreements among the top-level staffers and military leaders. This barely deserves comment, but it appears to be the “story of the day,” so I’ll let Andrew take take this one:

I have only read the excerpts, but I have to say that the notion that there was serious debate, some rancor, plenty of disagreements, occasional bursts of temper (have you ever met Holbrooke, arguably the most arrogant asshole in DC?), an earnest attempt to understand the options, and Obama’s acceptance of political constraints – “I can’t lose the entire Democratic Party” – is not exactly stop-the-presses stuff. It’s what happens in any organization tackling such a terribly difficult decision – and the fact that views were aired and egos were bruised is, to my mind, at the least unremarkable and, at best, reassuring.