It’s not like McChrystal claimed he was offered a job by the White House.

As for Sestak’s “policy” of “you say that behind closed doors” that is precisely the PROBLEM with the military and the public NOT knowing information they should have.

This is why congressional testimony of officers is suspect. If they follow Sestak’s policy philosophy, then the public can’t get candid assessments.

Sestak has longed claimed to have disagreed with the Iraq War, yet no record of his opinions exists at the time the War started. Once it was underway, Sestak voted TWICE in 2007 to continue funding it (without timetables or accountability).

“Behind closed doors” is the opposite of transparency and on of the many ways the military sweeps information under the rug.

It’s no wonder that “behind closed doors” is how Sestak handles most problems of dissension at his congressional and campaign offices.

So how do you “correct” this, other than by firing McChrystal? It’s not McChrystal’s first offense. It’s his third or fourth. It’s time for McChrystal to go. He undermines the military chain of command which is essential to a strong miltary.

Lee-
I don’t buy this military chain of command BS when it comes to expressing an opinion on the policy. What kind of douche-bag general would send kids into battle based on a plan/policy he doesn’t believe in, without raising a public objection?

I’m not saying whether or not I agree with McChrystal on the substance or merits of the policy. However, we got into Iraq because not enough high ranking officers spoke up publicly to challenge the assumptions and assertions. Any objections were made (as Joe puts it) “behind closed doors”. That’s just bad policy for a military that supposed to be under civilian control/oversight.

Many Dems made a point of calling Petraeus “Betray-Us” because they felt he was repeating the White House talking points and not giving an honest assessment (that might have contradicted the White House). The idea that it is impermissible to contradict your “superiors” is the antithesis of an open, transparent democracy.

As a junior computer programmer, I read with great alarm who the original shuttle Challenger disaster was caused by managers ignoring and suppressing the realistic concerns and warnings of the professional engineers.

There are plenty of counter-arguments to Obama’s approach as well as McChrystal’s. Aside from classified data, there should be an open discussion on the policy. Once McChrystal has his say, if he is unable to persuade the President, then his two options are: follow orders or quit/transfer.

This false notion about what constitutes a “strong military” is really about HIDING bad news from the American people to give a false impression, rather than an accurate evaluation.

Sestak is wrong on this one. McChrystal must go. He has disrespected this President as well as the office of the presidency.

If anyone doubts the value of a free press, this is the proof. The commander-in-chief, the vice-president, the ambassador, and the national security adviser have to wait for a Rolling Stone article to find out that he thinks they are all jerks. We have a power struggle here and need to know who’s in charge, the military or the civilian leadership.

In round 1, McChrystal’s public comments last fall forced Obama to take McChrystal’s position on the surge in Afghanistan. In David Sirota’s analysis, in “Who’s Really In Control of the White House? Maybe Not Obama,” 2/22/10, at http://www.alternet.org/story/145748/who%27s_really_in_control_of_the_white_house_maybe_not_obama. : “McChrystal went rogue, preemptively leaking his request to the media, then delivering a public address telling Obama to immediately follow his orders.”

This is round 2. If McChrystal wins again, he may as well take over where Alexander Haig left off in 1981.

TB, the civilain authority over the military is sancrosact, I agree, but the one that has to go is Barrack Hussein Islama.

SESTAK HITCHED HIS CABOOSE TO THE OBAMA TRAIN…TOW THE LINE, JOE, ON AFGHANISTAN, ON HEALTH CARE, ON THE ECONOMY. YOUR CAREER WILL END THIS NOVEMBER. STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.

Fox 29′s on air talent has absolutely ZERO credibility. Amazed that this site would use clips from their broadcasts.

Curious that Sestak thinks McChrystal should stay. I doubt he’d keep anyone on his staff who publicly disagreed with him, no matter how talented he thought the person was.

This seems to be yet another symptom of the peculiar relationship between the civilians who control the military and the soldiers who actually implement the orders. Bush thought that soldiers were simply toys he could play with on a map. The last president to really understand the interaction between the civilians and the soldiers was Eisenhower.

Matt-
Publicly? Sestak won’t even keep people who privately criticize or disagree with him.

The civilians who control the military have to stop being intimidated by the military.

Dave, I know you still have Arlen Specter defeat hangover, but what the F are you talking about?

Although I despise, disrespect and disagree with Barack Hussein Islama, he had every right to do what he did.

Where was he intimidated? He fired McChrystal.

The bedrock that the military is under civilian control was REINFORCED by Islama, and correctly so.

Good people,

I represent a group of Catholic priests in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who wish to remain anonymous. We invite Congressman Joe Sestak and other candidates for high office, those who have supported the war in Afghanistan, to write an article in their local newspaper or Catholic newsletter detailing why they continue to support war.

Peace

Father, can we also ask the candidates why Christians are openly and freely persecuted for their faith in Mid-East Countries? And can we also ask them their views on the 4 Christians that were arrested by police at a public event in Dearborn, MI for handingout leaflets?

Thank you.

95 South-
I wasn’t referring to Obama being intimidated as the McChrystal article implied, but rather Congress and civilian overseers in general. The military gets treated with religious reverence in some quarters, and doesn’t get sufficiently questioned on their rules, policies, etc.
Just look at Sestak. Anytime anyone questions him, he pretends like they are insulting everyone who ever wore a uniform.

There was a lot of push back against investigating Abu Gharib and other cases of abuse by the military. The delays and arguments against removing the DADT policy are just supporting institutionalized bigotry, and are not really about military readiness.

Everyone talks about budget cuts, but always to social services. You hardly hear “fiscal conservatives” talking about cutting the bloated military budget by 30-40%.

As for the countries that persecute Christians, a regular Fox viewer like you probably includes the US and gets up-in-arms over the annual “War on Christmas”. The “horror” that shoppers are greeted with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”.
Though for the other countries persecuting Christians, they seem like a good place to station the pedophile priests the church has shielded for decades.

Dave, I watch MSNBC for comic relief. I also watch Oberman to see if it can be noticed when he wets his pants.

Dave, the Liberal/communist/socialist control BOTH houses, they could surely make any military cuts they wanted,that is, if they really wanted to.

Dave, are you advocating the attacks on Christians? Are you glad that 4 Americans were arrested in Dearborn for excercising their rights?

Dave, please lets us know, we really want to help you. Were you molested while you were working on the Sestak Campaign?