Rolling Stone: Obama Summons McChrystal To WH After Gen. Says: The Real Enemy=THE WIMPS IN THE WH

[kpete]

Gen. McChrystal summoned back to DC following Rolling Stone article

He's been ordered back to DC after an explosive interview with Rolling Stone. http://www.politico.com/static/PPM130_r1109mcchrystal.html(The article hasn't been posted yet, but a pdf has been posted here.) The first line of the piece is:

General Stanley McChrystal, Obama’s top commander in Afghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking his eye off the real enemy: The wimps in the White House.

I read the article and you never hear McChrystal actually use that terminology. But, it's implied.

This is going to be a test of Obama's leadership. McChrystal has already been warned, according to Rolling Stone:

Last fall, during the question-and-answer session following a speech he gave in London, McChrystal dismissed the counterterrorism strategy being advocated by Vice President Joe Biden as “shortsighted,” saying it would lead to a state of “Chaos-istan.” The re marks earned him a smackdown from the president himself, who summoned the general to a terse private meeting aboard Air Force One. The message to McChrystal seemed clear: Shut the fuck up, and keep a lower profile.

................

MORE:

Last fall, during the question-and-answer session following a speech he gave in London, McChrystal dismissed the counterterrorism strategy being advocated by Vice President Joe Biden as “shortsighted,” saying it would lead to a state of “Chaos-istan.” The remarks earned him a smackdown from the president himself, who summoned the general to a terse private meeting aboard Air Force One. The message to McChrystal seemed clear: Shut the fuck up, and keep a lower profile.

Now, flipping through printout cards of his speech in Paris, McChrystal wonders aloud what Biden question he might get today, and how he should respond. “I never know what’s going to pop out until I’m up there, that’s the problem,” he says.

Then, unable to help themselves, he and his staff imagine the general dismissing the vice president with a good one-liner.

“Are you asking about Vice President Biden?” McChrystal says with a laugh. “Who’s that?”

“Biden?” suggests a top adviser. “Did you say: Bite Me?”

.............

more:
JUICY BITS HERE:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/the-rolling-stone-articles-juiciest-bits/58503/
http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/gen-mcchrystal-summoned-back-to-dc.html
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/obama-recalls-top-general-interview/story?id=10978117

[emulatorloo]

1. Interested to see how this works out. McChrystal has a highly inflated opinion of himself

and apparently a sense of loyalty to the Bush/Cheney admin, not the country.

[WeDidIt]

2. The apology is worse than the statements

If the Obama administration accepts the apology, they prove they come off to the military as the "wimps" McChrystal said they are.

[niyad]

3. why hasn't this man been fired?

[leftynyc]

4. He's been summoned to the White House

I doubt Pres Obama gives a shit what this general thinks of him but a signal must be sent. We'll know tomorrow.

[loudsue]

14. Because the military industrial complex has a gun to Obama's head? His family's head?

Do you really think the civilian government is running this country?

[Walk away]

5. He will be on Fox hawking his forthcoming book and trashing the Whitehouse....

for as long as he can. He has nothing to lose but his soul.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Of course, the General never said any such thing. That's just the author's little flourish.

Michael Hastings, in the body of the article, describes the differences between the Pentagon POV and what he and what they seem to think is the administration's position on strategy.

Interesting read, nonetheless.

:patriot:

[zipplewrath]

11. The real problem

I read the whole article. The quotes are more inflamatory than the reality, and some of the quotes are actually of subordinates. But the real picture is even worse, once you get past the quotes. He has had a life long problem with authority in almost any form. To some extent he always comes off as believeing he is the "smartest guy in the room". He also has a propensity for using violence to achieve an objective. But the real concern is that he basically has lost the confidence of the commanders and troops in combat and THAT is toxic. You'll get guys "going through the motions" and that is a bad way to fight for anything.

[NYC_SKP]

13. Agree 100%

To me, there's a frequent conflict between what makes for a good warrior and for a good diplomat in the same person.

Generals need to know how to take orders, just like the rest of the arm services membership.

[gilpo]

17. An Army guy using violence to solve a problem?

Whodathunkit?

[Botany]

7. The French have been fighting and dying w/ us in Afghanistan since 2001

Fire his ass now!


“I’d rather have my ass kicked by a roomful of people than go out to this dinner,”McChrystal says.

He pauses a beat.“Unfortunately,” he adds, “no one inthis room could do it.”With that, he’s out the door.

“Who’s he going to dinner with?” I ask one of his aides.

“Some French minister,” the aide tells me. “It’s fucking gay.”

[glitch]

8. I hope Obama's learning, you can't trust Bush/Cheney acolytes. nt

[dgibby]

9. Good thing McChrystal wasn't around when Prescott Bush

and his buddies were looking for a "go to guy" to overthrow FDR!

[MrMickeysMom]

10. McChrystal has a GOD complex and needs to to GO...

... as in, "You are fired", don't pass "go" and don't even of think of collecting the $200 dollars.

This guy has been a walking liability who thinks he's gonna end up running for God/Occupant of the White House some day.

Let that promise end TODAY, Mr. President. He's bad news, and he needs to GO.

[TwilightGardener]

12. This is truly awful. Anyone with family members in Afghanistan should be

disgusted and appalled at his conduct.

[newfie11]

15. Well here is someone the tea party folks could follow

What next. The scary thought is these idiots are talking about essentially overthrowing our government and mc idiot would probably agree.

[Justitia]

16. This guy has been nothing but a problem since Day 1. He undermines his boss & the mission.

His conduct is a liability.

Fire his ass yesterday.

[Gin]

18. I like Mineral Man's suggestion...demote his ass and put him

at some desk job in some remote location....he is power hungry and that would hurt if he had no power any longer...or he could clean up the GOM without equipment.

[AngryOldDem]

19. Then he needs to go.

What was good for MacArthur is definitely good for McChrystal. But we'll see.

[Mz Pip]

20. McChrystal needs to resign

If he does not respect his CIC he needs to resign and let Obama choose someone who can.

Obama shouldn't have top fire his sorry ass. He should step down and go away.

[Az_lefty]

21. Pure Insubordination...

he has to be fired. The idea that's he's the only one that can do the job is pure BS. He has to go.