McChrystal Says He's Talked With Obama Once Since Taking Afghanistan Command

[Zoom-boing]

Gen. Stanley McChrystal says he's talked to President Obama only once since taking command of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan over the summer, a revelation that drew swift criticism from some who are concerned that the president is putting off McChrystal's request for more troops.

"It's startling," Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., told FOX News.

McChrystal talked about his interaction with the president in an interview with CBS News.

"I've talked to the president since I've been here once on a (video teleconference)," he said.

"You talked to him once in 70 days?" CBS' David Martin asked.

"That's correct," McChrystal said.

McChrystal, who warned in a recent assessment of the war in Afghanistan that the United States risks failure without more troops, submitted a request for more resources on Friday.

But the White House says it will review the overall strategy in Afghanistan before addressing troop levels.

The disclosure that the president and his top Afghanistan commander have spoken just once added to concerns that the administration is waiting too long to deal with the troop level issue.

Gregg said that former President George W. Bush spoke with his then-top Iraq commander, Gen. David Petraeus, on a regular basis. He said that while Obama may be speaking regularly with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Petraeus, who is now head of Central Command, the president should still keep in regular contact with McChrystal.

"I would think you'd want to hear one-on-one from your field commander more than once in six months," he said.

Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, with the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, said he found it "extraordinarily surprising" that McChrystal, once in regular contact with former Vice President Dick Cheney, has talked to Obama only once since taking command.

"It's not really a good sign," he said.

But White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama is trying to be very deliberative in assessing the strategy going forward in Afghanistan, and he urged patience.

"I assume that any decision is a number of weeks away," Gibbs said. He said it can be detrimental to put resource decisions ahead of strategy decisions.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, said McChrystal's assessment needs to be seen as part of a broader strategy.

"It doesn't stand alone. It is part of a process," she said. "There's other input that's coming throughout the government that the president will take on board. But I think we ought to look at it in context."

McChrystal Says He's Talked With Obama Once Since Taking Afghanistan Command - Political News - FOXNews.com

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Yea this is a pretty sad & disturbing revelation. Our kids are being slaughtered over there every day yet our President only takes the time to talk to this man one time? I'm just shocked that more people aren't outraged over this. Oh well i guess it really is an Obama-Run Mainstream Media at this point. I saw the General on 60 Minutes and he seemed like a very intelligent & common sense thinking man. I couldn't help but think while i was listening to him that he really would probably be a better President than our current one. He seemed much more informed and much more concerned for our kids than our current President is. I did disagree with the man on some of his assessments but he really did earn my respect. This President is failing our kids over there and they definitely deserve better than this.

 

[Si modo]

That's utter negligence of BHO. Disgusting, IMO.

 

[Lost Soul]

Didnt Obama say Afghanistan was the right war? If he thought it was such an honorable war to fight, why hasn't he spent more time addressing it?

Just another lie exposed.

 

[Sunni Man]

So what's the big deal?

Truman only meet MacArthur ONCE during the Korean War

With all of the video conferencing equipment available for meetings.

Why would they need personal face to face contact?

 

[Si modo]

So what's the big deal?

Truman only meet MacArthur ONCE during the Korean War

With all of the video conferencing equipment available for meetings.

Why would they need personal face to face contact?

Source for the MacArthur information, please.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Lets be honest here for a minute. Our kids are being brutally slaughtered over there every day yet our President chooses to talk to this man only once? Come on,even a Hopey Changey Sheep can see that this is extremely sad & disturbing. Can't they see this? This is a real travesty and our kids certainly deserve better than this.

 

[midcan5]

So what? Is McCrystal in the oval office daily? And are there not people responsible for informing the president? You know like how they warned Bush about al queda planning to hurt us and required observation? Do you mean like that?

 

[DiveCon]

So what's the big deal?

Truman only meet MacArthur ONCE during the Korean War

With all of the video conferencing equipment available for meetings.

Why would they need personal face to face contact?

i see you didnt actually READ the OP

McChrystal talked about his interaction with the president in an interview with CBS News.

"I've talked to the president since I've been here once on a (video teleconference)," he said.

"You talked to him once in 70 days?" CBS' David Martin asked.

"That's correct," McChrystal said.

 

[Maple]

Yes, and he is supposed to be our commander in chief, remember, the tough talk on Afganistan before the election, " I will listen to my generals in the field." It does not appear that he is listening,instead he is playing politics with the lives of our soldiers over there.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Wow i can't believe i'm actually seeing Hopey Changey Sheep justifying this astounding incompetence & arrogance. These sheep are perfect examples of why more people should be Independents and not affiliate themselves with either party. Defending the indefensible is an even bigger travesty. Our President has let our kids down over there. It really is just very sad.

 

[PI2]

Since when do theater commanders report directly to the POTUS?

Morons

 

[PI2]

Gregg said that former President George W. Bush spoke with his then-top Iraq commander, Gen. David Petraeus, on a regular basis. He said that while Obama may be speaking regularly with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Petraeus, who is now head of Central Command, the president should still keep in regular contact with McChrystal.

"I would think you'd want to hear one-on-one from your field commander more than once in six months," he said.

Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, with the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, said he found it "extraordinarily surprising" that McChrystal, once in regular contact with former Vice President Dick Cheney, has talked to Obama only once since taking command.

And just where did this close contact get us in the eight effing years we have been there?

Where is OBL?
Where are the WMD's

You Chickenhawk morons make me want to puke!

 

[PI2]

Yes, and he is supposed to be our commander in chief, remember, the tough talk on Afganistan before the election, " I will listen to my generals in the field." It does not appear that he is listening,instead he is playing politics with the lives of our soldiers over there.

It's called a chain of command use the Google and look it up Moron!

 

[Sinatra]

So what's the big deal?

Truman only meet MacArthur ONCE during the Korean War

With all of the video conferencing equipment available for meetings.

Why would they need personal face to face contact?

___

He has had one video conference. That's it.

He has had NO face to face.

You would do well to actually read the thread info before commenting.

Thank you.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Clearly General McChrystal cares more about our kids over there than our President does. I really do think he would be a better President than our current one.

 

[Si modo]

Since when do theater commanders report directly to the POTUS?

Morons

Who said a theater commanders reported directly to the CiC?

Oh, that's right; it's you. They don't.

Now that that strawman is dead, but their talking with the CiC has stopped since BHO has been in office, apparently.

 

[pete]

No cameras, teleprompters ,,, oh wait need to get the Olympics to Chicago

 

[PubliusInfinitum]

Yea this is a pretty sad & disturbing revelation. Our kids are being slaughtered over there every day yet our President only takes the time to talk to this man one time? I'm just shocked that more people aren't outraged over this. Oh well i guess it really is an Obama-Run Mainstream Media at this point. I saw the General on 60 Minutes and he seemed like a very intelligent & common sense thinking man. I couldn't help but think while i was listening to him that he really would probably be a better President than our current one. He seemed much more informed and much more concerned for our kids than our current President is. I did disagree with the man on some of his assessments but he really did earn my respect. This President is failing our kids over there and they definitely deserve better than this.

While it is sad... it's hardly a revelation.

This can only come as a surprise to those who believe that a person who's entire politcal career has been centered around anti-American Leftism... (Pardon the redundancy, but its essential to the point) would govern as someone whose interests are served by promoting that which serves America's interest.

There is in fact, nothing surprising about any of this, IF and when one recognizes that Hussein is NOT an American... he contests the very FABRIC of America and stands AGAINST everything that AMERICA STANDS FOR!

Just ask yourself... "If the US Presidency were to be occupied by someone whose goals are to undermine the US Global War on Terror... to undermine the means of the US military to effectively fight our terrorist enemies; HOW WOULD SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL WITH SUCH NEFARIOUS INTENTIONS ACT DIFFERENTLY THAN HUSSEIN IS ACTING?

Now some might say that such a player would not mouth support for US troops in the field... but such honesty would do what? Isn't it true that if someone with such intent came out and proclaimed such that they would likely find themselves unable to govern?

We can discuss what might happen... and much of it may or may not be plausible; but it is reasonable to say that such an individual would have a hard time governing within minutes of making such an assertion.

So it is reasonable then to conclude that someone whose intention is to undermine the means of the US military to do their job, would not serve their interests by making such known, either while running for, or while sitting in the seat of power.

But it is just as reasonable to conclude that someone with such intentions would be doing PRECISELY what this Marxist fuck is doing... raising the threashold of US troops to justifiably engage those known to them to be hostile... stalling to make decisions critical to the success of that mission and overtly sympathizing and treating with the enemy with whom those troops are engaged...

We've allowed the forces of tolerance and compassion to set us up kids... they've bankrupted our economy and are in the process of making it impossible for our military to EFFECTIVELY enage the enemy.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Off begging for the Olympics to be held in his Third World H*ll-Hole Chicago while our kids are being brutally slaughtered in Afghanistan? Yea this President sure does have his priorities straight. Mr. President,your Generals are begging you to put your golf clubs down and stop flying all over World begging for the Olympics and simply sit down and start helping our kids over there. Is that really too much to ask of our Commander in Chief? Our kids definitely deserve better than this.