McChrystal 'aimed to send message to Obama'

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1074802 ^ | 10:48 AEST Wed Jun 23 2010

[DBCJR]

And there you have it! One Australian perspective.

[AU72]

I would pay a lot of money for a tape of their meeting.

[beethovenfan]

If I were McChrystal, I’d tell Zero to his face what a lousy excuse for a CIC he is, and that his policy of not offending anyone is getting our troops killed. Then I’d resign before he could fire me, give him a middle finger salute and leave.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

I wish if General Mc was going to send a message via Rolling Stones why couldn’t he have said “This clueless thug doesn’t even have a birth certificate and he is pretending to be a commander in chief and living in the WH. Where in the heck is our Supreme Court? He is getting a lot of good men killed.”

[alecqss]

Two things are clear -
1. McCrystal was insubordinate; and
2. McCrystal said the truth.

As far as #2 concerned - it's Wilsonian “you lie” on much greater scale. I wish Obama were to resign, not the General.

[ClearCase_guy]

"I think the frustration is that the president really believes in the mission in Afghanistan. That, I think, is at the root of the problem," he told NBC.

Riiiiiiiiiiight.

[roses of sharon]

Then why apologize?

[devere]

The message was “Please fire me so I’m not remembered as the general who lost this unwinnable war!”.

[ClearCase_guy]

I'm mostly paraphrasing below:

Joe Wilson -- "You lie!"
Joe Barton -- "This is a shakedown!"
John Kyl -- "The president isn't protecting the borders because the issue is politically useful."
Gen. McChrystal -- "Obama is an idiot."

I would say that all of this is unprecedented. People need to wake up and realize how close we really are to rebellion.

[Keen-Minded]

The Community Organizer can’t stand to be told he’s a failure.

Unfortunately, if there is division among the military leaders then the war is lost. Way to go O’Bummer you screwed it up again!

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Guys saying too much to a Rolling Stone writer on an alcohol-soaked cross-continent bus trip. It sounds like “Almost Famous”.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

It certainly does sound like Suicide by Hack, doesn’t it.

[BooBoo1000]

The longer this goes on the less I like it.I do no cotton to the idea of the Commanding General and his Aids drinking on their way back from Germany. After all he and his Aids are still responsible for the conduct of that war. Also if I remember correctly, they all took an oath to obey and support the President of the U.S. If they think Obamma is incompetent they should retire, or ask for a transfer to some other theater.

[uncbob]

Well Rolling Stones may be left wing but they sure didn’t do Obama any favors

Probably because if you read what Hastings said they are POed in that they think he wants to win this war

[Red Steel]

Also if I remember correctly, they all took an oath to obey and support the President of the U.S.

Wrong, the officers took an oath to uphold the US Constitution.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

People are wondering why Rolling Stone was chosen. Rolling Stone is left-wing but in a traditional, old-school sense. They’re not communist left-wing. 2nd of all, RS is famous for these types of essays. Some of their essays and commentary are higher in standards than the NY Times. Finally, I think it’s good that the article is in a left-wing magazine rather than say, NRO or NewsMax. That means the left can’t ignore it.

[bigbob]

This ball is 100% in Obama’s court, but McChrystal has the deck stacked, if I may mix metaphors.

Obama gets to make the call and he’s just about got to do it tomorrow. If he fires McChrystal it may cost him the Afghan war, and will certainly open him to criticism that he looks petty by running the risk of losing the war and Americna lives over a fit of anger. If he doesn’t, it reinforces the growing sense that Obama is incompetent, in over his head, and a laughingstock. Who could conclude otherwise if he allows his own top wartime General to make fun of him and his team and get away with it?

Can’t vote “present” on this one Barry. Choose and lose.

[tessalu]

Obama has not had even one day of military service, and he thinks he can tell the general what to do. He is an absolute fool. I would not serve one day under Obama. I have not one bit of confidence. He does not behave like any American that loves his country.

[Keen-Minded]

I agree! They all should resign and show the incompetent community organizer for what he is... not the commander in chief!

It appears there is wide spread disregard for him already among the military leaders. If so, that spells trouble for us as a nation! Even our allies dislike him.

[politicalmerc]

Also if I remember correctly, they all took an oath to obey and support the President of the U.S.

Wrong, the officers took an oath to uphold the US Constitution.

BINGO!