Obama Will Make Up His Own Mind About Afghanistan, White House Says

As advice on war in Afghanistan flies at President Obama from every direction, the White House is making it clear that the president's decision will be his own, the AP reported Tuesday afternoon. Obama and administration officials are meeting with Congress, urging advisers to keep things confidential, and face avalanches of recommendations, predictions, opinions and polls. Despite all that, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in his daily briefing that the president would not primarily base his decision on the cacophony of input. He would, Gibbs said, not necessarily bow to public opinion or the mood in Congress.

"The president is going to make a decision -- popular or unpopular -- based on what he thinks is in the best interests of the country," Gibbs said. As for support from lawmakers, he said Obama is focused on getting his war strategy right, not on "who's for or who's against what."