Indeed, some Democrats cringed as the news Obama delivered to Gen. Odierno made its way around town. Odierno was not the only military leader expressing concern, but he was among the most passionate, Pentagon officials said.
The decision was informed by weeks of talks. During that time, the White House watched as Pentagon officials -- convinced they were going to have to release the pictures -- debated with officers in the field on how to mitigate the effects.
In the end, Obama took the problem off their shoulders -- and drew praise from unlikely quarters.
"This says a lot about how President Obama makes decisions," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). "He stood up to his political base and made a decision.
"Changing one's mind is a strength, not a weakness," Graham said. "He's realized the difference between being a candidate and being commander in chief."
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cparsons@latimes.com
jhook@latimes.com
Julian E. Barnes in the Washington bureau contributed to this report.
