Does the White House Know How to Strategize?

This is third week in a row that Jake Tapper (ABC News) seems utterly mystified at the lack of any real strategy originating from the White House for any of the administration's major policy initiatives.

'TAPPER: Robert, is it the opinion of this White House -- has it been conveyed by this White House to Senate Democrats that the trigger mechanism for the public option would be a better way to get to 60 votes than the opt-in provision?

GIBBS: The President, when Senate Democrats were here last week, the President listened to what their strategy was for moving health care forward.

TAPPER: Robert, did he convey to them, one way or another, what he thought would be a more likely way to get the bill passed?

GIBBS: We listened to what their thoughts were there in the Senate and wanted to hear their strategy.

TAPPER: Seriously, you're not -- okay, so you listened, but the President didn't convey any --

GIBBS: Not that I'm aware of, no.

-jpt'

It would be funny if it weren't so disconcerting.

He never told us THAT

Apparently Senate Dems were caught a little off-guard by the fact that drawn-down doesn't mean a total exit from Iraq. They seem a little surprised by the President's plan to leave up to 50,000 troops there after 2010. It seems that being caught off-guard is making the rounds. Gov. Jindal was surprised by the Vice President's repetition of claims by the Center for American Progress that Louisiana is losing more than 400 jobs per day. That claim was certainly news to the Governor, and the state and national labor boards which report that Louisiana was one of the few states to gain jobs in the last quarter - oops.