http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100622/ap_on_en_ot/us_mcchrystal_enemies

I don't think it's right to openly trash the white house while you're in such an important role, and considering we haven't pulled out of Afghanistan (added more troops to it) while Obamas been in office, im not sure why he really felt like this was even true. I say cut him loose, if he feels that way it's his opinion but you can't keep him in charge.

Obama is screwed. We are losing the war in Afghanistan (which is Obama's war at this point) and if he cuts McCrystal lose this guy will become a right wing hero in no time, and the drum beat will start that Obama doesn't have the respect of the military and is not fit to be commander in chief.

If this was Bush McCrystal would be gone already. Given the perception problem Democrats have with national security issues Obama doesn't have that kind of latitude. He already looks weak because McCrystal essentially bullied him into his position on the troop increase numbers, and this is making him look worse.

Gates will ultimately be the one to fire him, but Obama will take a hit as Republicans will be able to do some major political damage on the President with this mark my words. Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity as well as Roger Ailes have to literallly be foaming at the mouth right now. Expect to see alot of Liz Cheney on TV, as well as anyone else they can dig up who has been waiting to nail the President on national security matters. It's coming.

IggyPride00;396940 wrote:Obama is screwed. We are losing the war in Afghanistan (which is Obama's war at this point) and if he cuts McCrystal lose this guy will become a right wing hero in no time, and the drum beat will start that Obama doesn't have the respect of the military and is not fit to be commander in chief.

If this was Bush McCrystal would be gone already. Given the perception problem Democrats have with national security issues Obama doesn't have that kind of latitude. He already looks weak because McCrystal essentially bullied him into his position on the troop increase numbers, and this is making him look worse.

Gates will ultimately be the one to fire him, but Obama will take a hit as Republicans will be able to do some major political damage on the President with this mark my words. Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity as well as Roger Ailes have to literallly be foaming at the mouth right now. Expect to see alot of Liz Cheney on TV, as well as anyone else they can dig up who has been waiting to nail the President on national security matters. It's coming.

true, but the Afghan policy by and large that Obama has enacted has been supported by the Right....so it'll be interesting to see how they try and knock him when they supported/support it

McCrystal is pretty much spot on with everything he said in the article. That being said, criticizing the CINC is a historically poor career move.

He spoke the truth, and sometimes those that don't want to hear it have problems.

As I heard Laura Ingram and the Fox and Friends gang saying, "given the unprecedented nature of this with a general speaking out like this, clearly he is fed up with the White House's refusal to give him everything he needs to win the war if he is so frustrated he would break rank and speak out like this."

It is being spun as an issue of competence. It is being spun that for him to speak out like this knowing the ramifications it speaks very poorly of Obama and the team he has surrounded himself with outside of Gates and Mullen as McCrystal essentially calls everyone else, including Obama a buffoon.

Apparently the article says McChrystal voted for Obama, which if true makes this even worse because you can't accuse him of being a Cheney plant who is a neo-con in sheeps clothing.

You can't have your generals being insubordinate like this, but on the flip side this is a political disaster for Obama as this was his hand picked general, a guy who voted for him, and he has basically surmised that Obama and his team are woefully inadequate for the job. That cuts deep, and given the disaster in the Gulf as well as every other crisis going on there is a major narrative of incompetence building and that is the polar opposite of what people thought they were getting in Obama. This is a nightmare all the way around for him as politically there is no way out and he can't win.

McCrystal called as he sees it and if the shoe fits UPSO "Undocumented Public Servant Obama" has to deal with his incompetency.....
Maybe more of this Administration incompetency will start to be recognized also.
Should McCrystal have spoken out ….. If he feels that the unprepared and incompetency of the UPSO “Undocumented Public Servant Obama” is putting troops and the operation in danger of failure ..than Yes… It not about Obama it is about the troops and their safety and the focus of the operation to be successful. If UPS does not take the issue serious (like the oil spill and the delayed support) to be prepare for a meeting and to make important decisions then UPS should be publicly call out….


UPSO “Under-Pressure Shut Off” or “Undocumented Public Servant Obama” both fit…

UPSO "Undocumented Public Servant Obama"

Belly, I am happy to see you have adopted the undocumented worker poster (and combined it with the ever present Public servant label) I put up a picture of. I figured you would like it when I saw it.

IggyPride00;396974 wrote:Belly, I am happy to see you have adopted the undocumented worker poster (and combined it with the ever present Public servant label) I put up a picture of. I figured you would like it when I saw it.

The UPSO "“Under-Pressure Shut Off” was also perfect for the Oil Spill Situation

Whether you agree with the comments or not, he is still a military officer commenting against his Commander in Chief, the VP, NSA and Adm Mullen. Under no circumstance is that acceptable, especially in the manner in which was said.
Sadly, and I'm a huge fan of his, he has to go.

Now, the huge question is what happens next? Who replaces him and how does the strategy move forward?

He should be gone within the next 24 hours...I don't care if you're pissed or not..you don't trash the President(any president) like this is public.

The people who support this,you think it's ok to act like the VP doesn't exist and the demean the President when he has entrusted you with running operations in the WIA?

Also,will you guys give this undocumented citizen crap a rest. Do you honestly think is he wasn't a citizen,Hilliary Clinton or John McCain wouldn't have put that out there and drilled him and the public about it?

ptown....do you think the put DP back as a short term solution until they get someone else?

One name that is floating in the defense circles is Marine general, James Mattis. But, as far as I know, the Marines aren't thrilled abut being Afghan Commanders, they would rather have the Army do it. But, still early to tell.

I doubt DP steps down into the role.

Just a thought

fish82;396950 wrote:McCrystal is pretty much spot on with everything he said in the article. That being said, criticizing the CINC is a historically poor career move.

This. You can't do this while serving in active duty. IF McCrystal wants to write a book or something after the fact, then more power to him. Right now he is required to only state in public that he totally supports the President 100%.

Btw, for those who say Beck, O'Reilly & Hannity will be hypocrites on this issue you are wrong-- well at least about Beck. I overheard him on the radio say McCrystal was out of line to air this out in public. I don't know what O'Reilly & Hannity think.

Little Danny;397151 wrote:Btw, for those who say Beck, O'Reilly & Hannity will be hypocrites on this issue you are wrong-- well at least about Beck. I overheard him on the radio say McCrystal was out of line to air this out in public. I don't know what O'Reilly & Hannity think.

Hmm. Very interesting!

Looks like most are in agreement that he should not have done this in the open.


BUT, what is does say is he's willing to lose his job over a neophyte POTUS and his admin. You can also bet a vast number of the military are applauding him for bringing this in the open. Will be very interesting over the coming months/years to hear "the rest of the story".

I don't understand how this is all of a sudden "Obama's war in Afghanistan". I mean, he didn't start it and most of the time it was fought under Bush. If you say that it's because of the expansion of troops that Obama did well he did that at the strong urging of the Republicans so I don't see how that gets him ownership of the war.

I do agree, this isn't the type of thing you say in public.

I Wear Pants;397238 wrote:I don't understand how this is all of a sudden "Obama's war in Afghanistan". I mean, he didn't start it and most of the time it was fought under Bush. If you say that it's because of the expansion of troops that Obama did well he did that at the strong urging of the Republicans so I don't see how that gets him ownership of the war.

Are you serious?

I Wear Pants;397238 wrote:I don't understand how this is all of a sudden "Obama's war in Afghanistan". I mean, he didn't start it and most of the time it was fought under Bush. If you say that it's because of the expansion of troops that Obama did well he did that at the strong urging of the Republicans so I don't see how that gets him ownership of the war.

I do agree, this isn't the type of thing you say in public.

What? Of course it is Obama's war. He instituted the review policy, it was his WH that worked with General Pet. and Gates to come up with a new COIN. It is now his war. If it falls apart, he, as well as Bush gets equal share of the blame.
You are pretty saying that when Nixon became President, he wasn't responsible for the war in Vietnam because it was LBJ's war.

I Wear Pants;397238 wrote:I don't understand how this is all of a sudden "Obama's war in Afghanistan". I mean, he didn't start it and most of the time it was fought under Bush. If you say that it's because of the expansion of troops that Obama did well he did that at the strong urging of the Republicans so I don't see how that gets him ownership of the war.

I do agree, this isn't the type of thing you say in public.

This is an AMERICAN war that was started because we were attacked.

Whoever is president has the honor of it being their war -- that's the way the whole CIC job works. It became "his" war the moment he took the oath of office, and it will remain "his" war until he leaves the Oval Office.

As for the comments...McChrystal should be unemployed sooner rather than later. Unacceptable behavior should result in dismissal; and this was unacceptable behavior.

Don't take it out of context people. Of course Obama is responsible for the here and now of the war (s). I just think that these are still firmly in "Bush's war" territory. I'm not even adding any negative context to that in this discussion. It's just that when I think of who had the most influence on the starting of these wars as well as their going-ons it's still Bush. Maybe in a few years if Afghanistan is still a major effort that will switch to me thinking it's Obama's territory. As of now I still associate them with Bush.

Writerbuckeye;397303 wrote:This is an AMERICAN war that was started because we were attacked.

Whoever is president has the honor of it being their war -- that's the way the whole CIC job works. It became "his" war the moment he took the oath of office, and it will remain "his" war until he leaves the Oval Office.

As for the comments...McChrystal should be unemployed sooner rather than later. Unacceptable behavior should result in dismissal; and this was unacceptable behavior.

Hate to say it, but i totally agree with Writer.

cbus4life;397328 wrote:Hate to say it, but i totally agree with Writer.

I can't believe that I'm about to do this for a second time in a matter of two minutes, but here goes...

Never thought I'd see the day....

(the first time was a post made by Pants)

Writerbuckeye;397303 wrote:This is an AMERICAN war that was started because we were attacked.

Whoever is president has the honor of it being their war -- that's the way the whole CIC job works. It became "his" war the moment he took the oath of office, and it will remain "his" war until he leaves the Oval Office.

As for the comments...McChrystal should be unemployed sooner rather than later. Unacceptable behavior should result in dismissal; and this was unacceptable behavior.

Writer....I think this is a first and most likely won't happen again...but I 100% agree with your post

I think we have different operating definitions of "whos" war something is. I mean it in who will people think of when they think of the particular conflict in 20, 30, 50 years. I think that as of now the person people will think of when recalling these conflicts is still Bush. That could change.

Like I said earlier, of course Obama is responsible for the war right now.