At least “don’t ask; don’t tell” opponents can take solace that they’re not last on the Presidential priority list. That position is reserved for General Stanley McChrystal. Last weekend, McCrystal informed America that his Commander in Chief, who set him in charge of all the forces in that the President called the “central front” in the war we’re fighting, that he’s only spoken to Obama once since his appointment, and that only by teleconference.
The President doubled that number by summoning the general to Air Force One while it idled on the tarmac in Copenhagen. The Commander in Chief was on his way home after spending a couple days unsuccessfully working his Crony in Chief mojo on the behalf of his former Chicago machine buddy and the rest of the fat-cats in the Windy City.
Alas for McChrystal and, I think, our soldiers currently fighting the Islamists in Afghanistan, the President wasn’t interested in discussing a winning strategy or giving his top man a pep talk. No, he chewed the general out for speaking frankly the day before.
Great. That ought to put some fear in the Islamists, huh?
Perhaps the President would be better off spending a little time wondering why his general, who is not exactly known for corking off about his superiors, decided to do it this time. Then he might get around to actually meeting the man face-to-face and hearing what he has to say. I wouldn’t hold my breath here, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea. At some point, a Commander in Chief has to talk to his commanding generals while they’re out fighting a war.
(Cross-post at Right Wing News)
Tags: Afghanistan, Fighting the Islamists, President Barack Obama
[...] Jimmie runs The Sundries Shack, is a contributing writer to the American Issues Project, and has his own podcast called “The Delivery”. He is also an amateur musician, an aspiring composer, an unrepentant geek and would love you to pay his blog a visit. Oh, this post is cross-posted there, too. [...]
Concerned enough to start agitating for a coup? When will you enlist & straighten things out by yourself?
Afraid someone might “tell?”
[...] with Jimmie over at the Sundries Shack; If I were serving in the Military right now and I were in the Afghan Theater. I would be just a [...]
Piffle.
I read somewhere recently that after Vietnam, there was an agreement reached by ranking officers and a pledge taken that they would never again accept commanding troops into a war under conditions of political emasculation of their ability to fight that war. I don’t know if that’s a true statement or just someone’s idea of what _should_ have happened.
If you accept it as true, what options does that leave? If forced into a Vietnam redeux, should McChrystal resign? All commanders? does the military have any kind of a hand they can play? Is McChrystal playing his, or is he just a plain spoken man who doesn’t “do” politics? With his rank, that seems unlikely…but what other options does he have?
Not a good situation.
[...] in that area, especially if truthful analysis of facts on the ground gets under his skin. Remember, Obama isn’t interested in real victory, only the image of it. Places under the bus are being prepared for both him and his CO, General [...]