Top U.S. general in hot water over interview

[Midnight Mike]

Wow, as much as I disagree with President Obama & his politics, you can not have the military disrespect the President, there are other ways to speak out. Now, of course, is what General McChrystal accurate with what was said and politically this is damaging to President Obama, of course one way or the other General McChrystal is going to be out of a job, but, these are going to be talking points that President Obama does not get along with the military.....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100622/ap_ ... al_enemies (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100622/ap_on_en_ot/us_mcchrystal_enemies)

Stanley McChrystal is ordered to D.C. after making derogatory remarks about President Obama and others.

The article in this week's Rolling Stone depicts McChrystal as a lone wolf on the outs with many important figures in the Obama administration and unable to persuade even some of his own soldiers that his strategy can win the war.

The interview describes McChrystal, 55, as "disappointed" in his first Oval Office meeting with Obama. The article says that although McChrystal voted for Obama, the two failed to connect from the start. Obama appointed McChrystal to lead the Afghan effort in May 2009. Last fall, though, Obama called McChrystal on the carpet for speaking too bluntly about his desire for more troops.

"I found that time painful," McChrystal said in the article, on newsstands Friday. "I was selling an unsellable position."

Obama agreed to dispatch an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan only after months of study that many in the military found frustrating. And the White House's troop commitment was coupled with a pledge to begin bringing them home in July 2011, in what counterinsurgency strategists advising McChrystal regarded as an arbitrary deadline.

[Sentinel Chicken]

In my younger days I was working as a civilian at Irwin Army Hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas (home of the 1st Infantry Division "Big Red One") and this was about the time of Clinton's sex scandals with Monica Lewinsky. Some of the Army docs at the hospital would post up on a bulletin board in the hospital some cartoons making fun of Clinton and some would even cut up some pics and "pose" them in certain ways. The hospital commander cracked down on that pretty harshly as it was considered disrespectful of superior officer as the President is the commander-in-chief.

I suspect that General McChrystal's views would be no different than what other commanding generals have had in the past under previous administrations. He just had the unfortunate luck to have his views aired publicly.

[NIKV69]

First Rahm now the leading General in Afghan. Man this is not good.

[T-Bird76]

If you read the article this goes MUCH deeper then the top General not agreeing with President, its shows real deep splits within Obama's cabinet and how much the Armed Forces have ZERO respect for him. If Obama sacks McChrystal its a lose lose for Obama...McChrystal already threw Obama under the bus and who's to stop him from doing a tell all if he's canned? If they were smart they simply say its an internal matter that's being addressed and send McChrystal back to the front lines to do his job. Anything other then that is going to blow up in Obama's face.

Side note..I was watching the McLaughlin group this Sunday and as you know at the end of the show they do predictions. This past Sunday the question was will Obama get the Dem nomination in 2012. I was a bit shocked to hear John McLaughlin being so bold to say Obama won't even seek reelection. The more and more I see things progressing..I’m starting to think that’s a very realistic probability.

[NIKV69]

Good points Tommy I was floored by how the General and his aides said Obama didn't even seem engaged and knew little about him. Sad but it's just more elitism smacking us in the face. Don't rule out Hillary jumping ship if this administration degenrates further as Iran will have to be addressed by end of next year if not earlier the way things are going. If Obama bullocks that forget it. You will see her run and she has a damn good chance.

[T-Bird76]

Good points Tommy I was floored by how the General and his aides said Obama didn't even seem engaged and knew little about him. Sad but it's just more elitism smacking us in the face. Don't rule out Hillary jumping ship if this administration degenrates further as Iran will have to be addressed by end of next year if not earlier the way things are going. If Obama bullocks that forget it. You will see her run and she has a damn good chance.

My prediction is Hillary will leave and make a run in 2012..Hillary still wants the big seat.

[Matt Molnar]

Very interesting story about how the Rolling Stone writer got access to McChrystal in the first place. If not for the Eyjafjallajokull volcano stranding flights in Europe, this wouldn't have happened.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... no-helped/ (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/how-did-rolling-stone-get-the-mcchrystal-story-a-volcano-helped/)

[Midnight Mike]

My prediction is Hillary will leave and make a run in 2012..Hillary still wants the big seat.

You can tell with the media headlines, all of sudden, Hillary Clinton is being mentioned as a possible replacement for VP Biden or even running in the 2012 election.....

[Midnight Mike]

Very interesting story about how the Rolling Stone writer got access to McChrystal in the first place. If not for the Eyjafjallajokull volcano stranding flights in Europe, this wouldn't have happened.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... no-helped/ (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/how-did-rolling-stone-get-the-mcchrystal-story-a-volcano-helped/)

I was watching an interview this morning, what started out as a 2 day interview, stretched to a 30 day interview, the reporter was calling the states basically saying you have no idea what I am getting!

[Matt Molnar]

There's a report that McChrystal has submitted his resignation, but this is not confirmed.

[T-Bird76]

There's a report that McChrystal has submitted his resignation, but this is not confirmed.

not good...we are about to embark on a major offensive in Afganistan. Regardless of the situation that will be on the minds of the Commanders making the decissions.

[NIKV69]

not good...we are about to embark on a major offensive in Afganistan. Regardless of the situation that will be on the minds of the Commanders making the decissions.


Tru but he can't stay after that was leaked. It's better to resign than to get the axe.

[Midnight Mike]

McChrystal relieved of command, Petraeus chosen to take over

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/23/ ... 1&iref=BN1 (http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/23/general.mcchrystal.obama.apology/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1)