Brit Hume called Gen. McChrystal really dumb because he allowed "Rolling Stone" of all media outlets access to him and his staff for a lengthy interview about how he feels about the war and his Commander in Chief. How dare he use a hippie rag instead of coming to a Villager?
Hume: This is a regular mess. The comments made by General McChrystal himself and by his aides. The astonishing lack of judgement shown in granting access to Rolling Stone. ROLLING STONE! Of all publications. No one over the age of four would speak on the record to Rolling Stone about delicate military matter and 'above all' about laying yourself with all kinds of back room opinions about your partners in the effort and the commander in chief and the vice president. This is a firing offense under normal circumstances. The president would be totally justified in General McChrystal. He may have to do it anyway....
Much of it had to be listening to Biden because he goes on and on and on, but that aside I mean he's still the Vice President of the United States, he's owed respect by General McChrystal and his subordinates aides and then in itself is what they said about him is insubordination, no question about it, I mean, I, Megan, I just don't know as I think about it whether the President can keep him even if he thinks he's vital to the mission. I mean this is pretty blatant stuff...
Kelly: Why? What is the fall out to President Obama if he keeps him?
Hume: Well, what I figure is he'll look weak. He may feel that he'll look weak, but think...(stutter) in a sense look, he may feel that he may make McChrystal crawl across enough broken glass here in Washington tomorrow and humble himself to such an extent..and he may be able to impose him some career....he might find some compromise way to keep him in the post with it being pretty clear that the guy is damaged goods. That might leave the President's prestige intact, but this is pretty strong medicine to be dealt in that article.
Kelly: Couldn't this be an opportunity for President Obama, for lack of a better word, "take the high road?" He's been criticized for having a thin skin and usually that comes with respect from the media, but is this an opportunity for him to say, it was out of line....but he's still the best man to complete a very important strategy that I've committed 30,00 additional American lives ...
Hume:...but these comments were so strong and so negative and so disrespectful and look, the fact that most of them were not made by McChrystal himself doesn't really help because he was clearly present when all these discussions were going on. All this loose talk was going on..I wonder and we may find out Rolling Stone has insisted that it's on the record and everybody knew it and I have my doubts about that. I would be surprised if Gem McChrystal said it was all on the record and we all knew it. Can you imagine anybody, look it. If that's the case the guy maybe outta be fired for being dumb! To have that kind of loose talk to any media outlet.
No one in their right mind, on the record or off talks like this to in front of the media. You just don't do it.
I think he isn't that dumb and just wanted out of Afghanistan altogether since his planning has failed completely. He can now be hailed a right wingnut hero by the fringers for calling out the President, Joe Biden and the Afghan team when he goes on a speaking tour of the AEI's and other tea party events. He can make as many false claims as he wants about what actually happened during the planning and implementation of his counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan since we know he'll lie even about his own troops. (Pat Tillman cover-up) So where's the downside for him to get fired? His military friends in the media, while believing his actions are a firing offense, they will say like Col. Jack Jacobs did on MSNBC that all the troops feel Obama's people are incompetent fools too.
As Karoli pointed out, troops are not happy being sent to die under the General's plan.
And he simply knew he could be labeled the 'General Failure' after General Petraeus was hailed a big hero by the media over Iraq. How are they both measuring up at this point? Any more fainting spells?
UPDATE: I believe he should be fired, but as John Cole points out Obama can do what he wants to do. "Can you imagine going through life with all this artificial nonsense dictating your decision making process?"
Digby has a great post up that says Obama is being advised NOT to fire him and a link to how he can be the one to "save face."
