The web is a buzz today with a flurry of articles referencing General Stanley A. McChrystal's surprisingly candid interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. According to this New York Times article, McChrystal was interviewed by Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings over a period of a month and a half while McChrystal and his envoy attempted travel during the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull.
McChrystal is on his way to meet with President Obama and administration officials to explain his candid remarks about his disappointment with the administrations policies in Afghanistan. Most agree that he will be taken to the woodshed or fired.
One may recall that General McChrystal made the public proclamation that more troops were needed in Afghanistan in order to win the war. Afterwards, President Obama committed more troops in order to stave off the political fallout.
The bottom line is that few people are perplexed by McChrystal's actions in going public. He'd already proven a willingness to do that. Pundits are perplexed by why Rolling Stone was McChrystals media outlet of choice to insubordinately air his concerns.
In actuality, Rolling Stone is the perfect venue for reaching the General's and President Obama's constituency. The fact is that the reason the "major news outlets" got scooped by Rolling Stone is that they did not want the story.
A vocal and loose cannon of a general who is critical of his commander and chief would have reporters swarming around him if his politics disagreed with the editors of the major news organizations. McChrystal was a train wreck looking for a place to happen. The major news organizations were scooped because they were playing politics rather than watchdogging our leaders.
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