Gen. Stanley McChrystal
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Obama is getting hit with crap left and right- I am starting to believe that the right wont be happy till they see our President /country fail. So much hate is being spread all over the blogs/net/media, regarding this issue - The right feels McChrystal did nothing wrong and they support McChrystal's actions....
This affects the morale of the troops- this affects the image of our leader, it creates havoc with in our country, and a ton of side tracking/B.S issues to deal with; As if we didn't already have so many real issues to deal with.
I hope Obama slaps this guy and makes sure this idiot is removed immediately. The right wont be happy until we double the deaths of 9/11 - In a war that has no purpose and that has no end. Obama wants to try and pull out (at least a huge percentage) and these donkey Conservatives just want death and destruction...
Fox is running a poll with it's views and more then 60% support McChrystal's comments..... What a fu@!ing joke!
President is talking about health care and this B.S issue by McChrystal is over shadowing it!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38837.html
The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has been summoned to the White House to explain biting and unflattering remarks he made to a freelance writer about President Barack Obama and others in the Obama administration.
The face to face comes as pundits are already calling for McChrystal to resign for insubordination.
McChrystal has been instructed to fly from Kabul to Washington today to attend Obama’s regular monthly security team meeting tomorrow at the White House.
An administration official says McChrystal was asked to attend in person rather than by secure video teleconference, “where he will have to explain to the Pentagon and the commander in chief his quotes about his colleagues in the piece.”
Both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have spoken with McChrystal. Capt. John Kirby, a spokesman for Mullen, said “the chairman spoke to Gen. McChrystal last night and expressed his deep disappointment with the article and with the comments expressed therein.”
McChrystal and his top aides appeared to let their guard down during a series of interviews and visits with Michael Hastings, a freelance writer for the magazine Rolling Stone.
The article, titled “The Runaway General,” appears in the magazine later this week. It contains a number of jabs by McChrystal and his staff aimed not only at the president but also at Vice President Joe Biden, special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Karl Eikenberry, the ambassador to Afghanistan, and others.
McChrystal described his first meeting with Obama as disappointing and said that Obama was unprepared for the meeting.
National Security Adviser Jim Jones is described by a McChrystal aide as a “clown” stuck in 1985.
Others aides joked about Biden’s last name as sounding like “Bite me” since Biden opposed the surge.
McChrystal issued an immediate apology for the profile, advance copies of which were sent to news organizations last night.
“It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened,” McChrystal said. “Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard. I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war, and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome.”
NATO issued a statement overnight indicating continued support for McChrystal despite the “unfortunate article.”
It will be hard for the White House to get past this since the remarks appear to amount to some level of insubordination.
“This general has to be fired; he has to be gone by the end of the day,” said Joe Scarborough, on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.
“Gates and Petraeus have to come out and fire McChrystal.” They should have already done it — Petreaus and Gates should have already fired McChrystal.”
But analysts who are close to the situation and know McChrystal well believe that while the remarks were wrong, it would be a bigger mistake to let McChrystal go at such a critical time in the war.
“He made a big mistake, but he is a fantastic general, and not only that but a modest man who is respectful of others,” says Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at Brookings.
“That makes these comments even more uncharacteristic and unfortunate," he said. "We need him, and Ambassador Eikenberry, for this effort, and I am confident knowing both men well that they can put these issues behind them for the greater good.”
McChrystal, an expert on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, has long been thought to be uniquely qualified to lead in Afghanistan. But he is not known for being media savvy.
Hastings, who has covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for two years, according to the magazine, is not well-known within the Defense Department.
And as a freelance reporter, Hastings would be considered a bigger risk to be given unfettered access, compared with a beat reporter, who would not risk burning bridges by publishing many of McChrystal’s remarks.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38837.html
This affects the morale of the troops- this affects the image of our leader, it creates havoc with in our country, and a ton of side tracking/B.S issues to deal with; As if we didn't already have so many real issues to deal with.
I hope Obama slaps this guy and makes sure this idiot is removed immediately. The right wont be happy until we double the deaths of 9/11 - In a war that has no purpose and that has no end. Obama wants to try and pull out (at least a huge percentage) and these donkey Conservatives just want death and destruction...
Fox is running a poll with it's views and more then 60% support McChrystal's comments..... What a fu@!ing joke!
President is talking about health care and this B.S issue by McChrystal is over shadowing it!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38837.html
The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has been summoned to the White House to explain biting and unflattering remarks he made to a freelance writer about President Barack Obama and others in the Obama administration.
The face to face comes as pundits are already calling for McChrystal to resign for insubordination.
McChrystal has been instructed to fly from Kabul to Washington today to attend Obama’s regular monthly security team meeting tomorrow at the White House.
An administration official says McChrystal was asked to attend in person rather than by secure video teleconference, “where he will have to explain to the Pentagon and the commander in chief his quotes about his colleagues in the piece.”
Both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have spoken with McChrystal. Capt. John Kirby, a spokesman for Mullen, said “the chairman spoke to Gen. McChrystal last night and expressed his deep disappointment with the article and with the comments expressed therein.”
McChrystal and his top aides appeared to let their guard down during a series of interviews and visits with Michael Hastings, a freelance writer for the magazine Rolling Stone.
The article, titled “The Runaway General,” appears in the magazine later this week. It contains a number of jabs by McChrystal and his staff aimed not only at the president but also at Vice President Joe Biden, special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Karl Eikenberry, the ambassador to Afghanistan, and others.
McChrystal described his first meeting with Obama as disappointing and said that Obama was unprepared for the meeting.
National Security Adviser Jim Jones is described by a McChrystal aide as a “clown” stuck in 1985.
Others aides joked about Biden’s last name as sounding like “Bite me” since Biden opposed the surge.
McChrystal issued an immediate apology for the profile, advance copies of which were sent to news organizations last night.
“It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened,” McChrystal said. “Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard. I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war, and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome.”
NATO issued a statement overnight indicating continued support for McChrystal despite the “unfortunate article.”
It will be hard for the White House to get past this since the remarks appear to amount to some level of insubordination.
“This general has to be fired; he has to be gone by the end of the day,” said Joe Scarborough, on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.
“Gates and Petraeus have to come out and fire McChrystal.” They should have already done it — Petreaus and Gates should have already fired McChrystal.”
But analysts who are close to the situation and know McChrystal well believe that while the remarks were wrong, it would be a bigger mistake to let McChrystal go at such a critical time in the war.
“He made a big mistake, but he is a fantastic general, and not only that but a modest man who is respectful of others,” says Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at Brookings.
“That makes these comments even more uncharacteristic and unfortunate," he said. "We need him, and Ambassador Eikenberry, for this effort, and I am confident knowing both men well that they can put these issues behind them for the greater good.”
McChrystal, an expert on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, has long been thought to be uniquely qualified to lead in Afghanistan. But he is not known for being media savvy.
Hastings, who has covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for two years, according to the magazine, is not well-known within the Defense Department.
And as a freelance reporter, Hastings would be considered a bigger risk to be given unfettered access, compared with a beat reporter, who would not risk burning bridges by publishing many of McChrystal’s remarks.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38837.html
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
Or is it still only o.k. to criticize the POTUS during wartime if he is a Democrat?
Maple Leaf Gardens - Sep 21 - Downing Stadium, Randall's Island - Sep 28,29 1996 Blockbuster Music Entertainment Center - Aug 29 - Continental Arena - Sep 08 - MSG - Sep 10,11 1998 Jones Beach Music Theatre - Aug 24,25 2000 MSG - Jun 25, 2008 United Center - Aug 23,24 - Philly Spectrum - October 28,31 2009 PruCenter - May 18 - MSG - May 20,21 2010
Are you comparing the Dixie Chicks to McChrystal? Are you serious?!
what a joke
Dixie Chicks / Generals, isn't just ok to have an opinion?
Yeah- I'm sure Sarah "barracuda" Palin and old man McCain would have been a more qualified for the job.
Don't you get it or are you an id@!? 90,000 of our kids our sacrificing there life's for a B.S war and the commanding general is disrespecting the Commander in Chief-
If he has something to say, say it directly to the Boss. Don't you see the country is already divided- don't you see that the country already has a million and one MASSIVE issues that are affect all of us!! All of these issues didn't surface because Obama became the President- The country was already spiraling down!!
What FU@!ING joke!!
Godfather.
Dixie Chicks/ and the man responsible for 90,000 of our kids life's is a big difference.
What a JOKE!! What a massive distraction to our country!! With all the shit that is going on - this guy decides to create more B.S...
News flash - we are at war....kids are dieing in vain.... What do you think about the mothers and fathers of the kids who are dieing out there- when they see the head commander disrespecting the Commander in Chief? When Obama wants an exit strategy to get there kids home safe and this donkey comes out and creates this mess...
Are your children out there in the field of battle? Don't you think those families would be even more afraid of there kids safety?
McCain and a few of the other top donkey Republicans already said that McChrystal should not have said these things.......
man bro I'm starting to think you are a radical of some sort..."NEWS FLASH !! LOTS OF AMERICANS THINK OUR PRESIDENT SUCKS !" but since your opinion is the only one that matters we'll just disreguard the all other opinions, chill it out...hay why don't you join the military and go save the world.
Godfather.
Godfather.
Yeah - like always you come out representing the tea party as a joke...
You wonder why no one respects your comments-
Even fox is starting to come around on this.... What an idiot this guy is... How can the man responsible for 90,000 of our brave men and women disrespect the country like this- Doing an interview with Rolling Stone?! what a joke-what an idiot!
I heard his low score for eighteen holes is a 16! It seems he averages BETTER than a hole-in-one! Who would've thunk it??!!??
Radical? are you serious- We are not talking about general American's opinions - We are talking about the man responsible for 90,000 of our kids life's..... Are you kidding?
I hardly ever talk about this issue- it's pointless, but this idiot coming out and saying these things- is huge.
Opinions? What opinions have you shared? the only thing you can say is that Obama can play golf? If you want your opinion respected on serious issues- then make serious comments! it's that simple -
I would give my life for this country, but to die for donkey's would be to die in vain....
Actually, I think my statement is pretty self explanatory. Especially since I didn't really use any big words.
And if I recall properly, during Al Gore & John Kerry's terms, it was not o.k. for anyone to criticize Bush. That went for General's & non members of the Dixie Chicks.
Maple Leaf Gardens - Sep 21 - Downing Stadium, Randall's Island - Sep 28,29 1996 Blockbuster Music Entertainment Center - Aug 29 - Continental Arena - Sep 08 - MSG - Sep 10,11 1998 Jones Beach Music Theatre - Aug 24,25 2000 MSG - Jun 25, 2008 United Center - Aug 23,24 - Philly Spectrum - October 28,31 2009 PruCenter - May 18 - MSG - May 20,21 2010
This has nothing to do about a President being qualified.... How about it being an issue of a General undermining his commander if chief?
Take away parties involved... In 2006 if a General in command of a large operation in Afghanistan or Iraq made public comments about Bush being unqualified, the republicans and right wingers would have thrown a shit-fit, and you know it... He'd be branded as a traitor in an instant (look at some of the anger towards Shinseki).
I'm guessing McChrystal gets re-assigned after this... I doubt they are going to fire him, but I don't think he's going to be in Afghanistan much longer.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
also, some things could just be a faulty perception. when i read the part about obama not being engaging and how mcchrystal felt obama wasn't in as much awe as he should be or whatever i heard the same things for the past 8 years.
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
Nope. You don't do that. He should be relieved of his duty there.
Answer that and keep the political bullshit out of it.
Generals may question Washington, but do they follow the chain of command? Privates and Sargents question their commanders all the time... they may also think their commanders have their heads up their asses or are dipshits... BUT, they follow their orders. It works like that all the way up the chain.
...
The other question you have to ask is... why is it okay to question a President during wartime today... but from 2003-2008 it was considered to be 'Unpatriotic'? What has changed?
Hail, Hail!!!
It's his job. Obama is his boss. If he is going to say those things to the media, Obama must respond by asking him to step down from his post. If he doesn't, Obama must remove him. It is unacceptable behavior.
Exactly... if he made these comments in private to Sec Gates, the Army Chief of Staff, or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, then that's fine... that's his superiors and it's his duty to be truthful with them about the operation he's running... But you don't say those things to a fucking Rolling Stone reporter... how dumb can you be?
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
can ya imagine the shit fit some on the right would have if he did that?
though, it would be funny because some would say 'first he took over the banks, then he took over the auto industry, now he's taking over the military!' and it would be so hilarious because obama IS the commander in chief of the military and we all could have a good laugh......
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
Also, why in the hell he was letting Rolling Stone interview him is beyond stupid. That would be like Peyton Manning hiring a Boston Globe writer to publish his autobiography.
What a dumb comment.
The problem with Gen. McArthur was, he wanted to fight the Korean War the same way the Wars in Europe and the Pacific were fought... all out war. The Korean War was closer to a limited, police action than a war... with demlitarized zones and diplomats arguing behind the scenes with words. This was something McArthur didn't like, fighting with his hands tied. McArthur was convinved that the victory, as in the recent past wars, was the only option.
But, there was a huge game changer in effect in 1951 that wasn't in 1942... nuclear weapons. McArthur was authorized to use nuclear weapons against China if attacks were launched from their borders.
A commander who wants only victory... armed with nuclear weapons... against an adversary who has nuclear weapons... run the numbers. Is the risk too great?
Hail, Hail!!!
but in his defense maybe the general being there on the front lines knows some thing that we the public don't know regarding obamas performance and decisions in this war, maybe, maybe not.
Godfather.
If the answer is yes, then remove him, if the answer is no he needs to remain at the very least for the sake of the troops who are in harms way.
But lets not forget the retired generals that were celebrated during the bush administration. Either way, it seems that not all people in the military agree on what needs to be done...that makes sense to me... Lots of different individuals...but anyone in command of armed forces on the ground needs to be much smarter as to who he speaks with and how he vents his frustrations.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
Yep, just as dumb as all those GW at the ranch posts the last 8 years.
It's not just poor taste, it's disgraceful.
The president is his boss. What would your boss do to you if you made these types of comments to the media about the company and it's leaders? Fire your ass, that's what he/she'd do.