Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., wouldn’t come out and say he thinks Gen. Stanley McChrystal should lose his job over the critical remarks he made about the Obama administration in Rolling Stone Magazine, but he said the decision will come down to whether Obama “feels comfortable” with having him in place to implement the war strategy in Afghanistan.
“It’s very important for the commander in chief to have confidence in his mainline troops, especially someone that’s in charge of the war in Afghanistan,” Reid told reporters Tuesday.
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Reid said he was “surprised” at McChrystal’s comments and suspects he regrets the decision to the Rolling Stone reporter extended access.
“I couldn’t believe General McChrystal, being the good soldier I think he is, at least in this article not being a very good soldier,” Reid said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was more cryptic, but he seemed to be backing McChrystal, telling reporters “the important thing here is to get the mission right and to win and, rather than getting diverted off on this, I think it’s important for everybody around here to remember that we’ve got a big stake in having the Afghan conflict come out the right way.”
In the House, Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., didn’t pull any punches, and called on McChrystal to resign.
