Petraeus Complicates McCain Talking Points on Afghanistan
Spencer Ackerman reports that no less a figure than David Petraeus himself, talking at the Heritage Foundation, was publicly casting some doubt on John McCain’s notion that we can just export “surge” tactics and Petraeus awesomeness from Iraq into Afghanistan. And then there’s this:
Petraeus also came out unambiguously in his talk at Heritage for opening communications with America’s adversaries, a position McCain is attacking Obama for endorsing. Citing his Iraq experience, Petraeus said, “You have to talk to enemies.” He added that it was necessary to have a particular goal for discussion and to perform advance work to understand the motivations of his interlocutors.
In part, Petraeus is just calling it like he sees it. But in part, my guess is that he reads the same polling numbers everyone else reads. It’s worth recalling that before he became the darling of the conservative movement, Petraeus was actually an important source for a lot of the Bush administration’s critics in the press, so the general is clearly someone who’s comfortable allying himself with all different kinds of folks and by no means a slavish adherent of the right-wing.
29 Responses to “Petraeus Complicates McCain Talking Points on Afghanistan”
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October 8th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
It’s worth remembering that one of America’s greatest strengths is the admirable political independence of its military leaders. Petraeus is no exception to this tradition, despite the rhetorical efforts of McCain and the Republicans.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Ackerman says that “it seemed a lot like McCain’s mancrush on Petraeus is unrequited.” Cute. Generals tend to know that tough talk is talk and they don’t engage in a lot of chest beating. Somehow, Mr. McMilitary doesn’t know the difference between being a military strategist and being belligerent.
After Palin’s mystical moment with Madeline Albright on a Starbuck’s cup, Albright said the quote was taken out of context, explained the context, and then endorsed Obama.
Doesn’t anybody on their campaign have time to do a little research? Doesn’t McCain have the clout to get somebody in contact with both of these people before they put their foot in their mouth? Or do they just not care?
Though I wouldn’t vote for them, and don’t want them to win, it bothers me that they are so careless with their campaign.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Are you suggesting Petraeus is trying to angle for a job in the Obama administration?
October 9th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Petraeus was actually an important source for a lot of the Bush administration’s critics in the press, so the general is clearly someone who’s comfortable allying himself with all different kinds of folks and by no means a slavish adherent of the right-wing.
So why would Petraeus go on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, but his press officer refused an interview request by Glennzilla(aka Glenn Greenwald)?
October 9th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Petraeus wants to be president some day.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:57 am
October 9th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Petraeus is a slavish adherent to the career ambitions of Patraeus. The last “honest broker” who said whatever it took to cling to his Oval Office visitor’s pass was a certain fat bastard at the CIA.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:31 am
This is unpossible. Only John McCain can see into the true heart of He Whom We Are Not Truly Worthy To Call By His Name Petraeus.
When we read or hear his words directly, it is as if we were to listen to a million trumpets at once in order to hear a single note. We are not capable of perceiving such truths.
Only John McCain and those sufficiently trained in both the doctrine and the liturgy of Teh SURGE ™ may tell us what He, O Petraeus, says and means.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I think this is unfair to Petraeus. He’s been a consistent supporter of sound counter-insurgency tactics. He implemented them when he commanded the 101st during the invasion and he pushed to see them more broadly implemented.
Petraeus supported the Surge because he wanted a chance to implement his ideas in the whole country. The Republicans supported the Surge for their own reasons. Petraeus supports talking to adversaries because it’s something he’s been doing in Iraq for a long time. It would be bizarre for him to disown it all of a sudden.
If you want to see Petraeus as political, understand that he is in a struggle against the traditionalist “big iron” elements of the military who think that great power conflict is the only kind of conflict they should prepare for.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I’ll pretty much echo DCreader’s comments at 9. Petraeus may very well be a shrewd political operator. Getting to the point that he has in the military is itself pretty strong evidence of that. But to date, his maneuvering has been focused internally in the Army and the wider DoD. It’s impossible to seperate out self-interest from the selfless desire to push towards more practical and effective operations in Iraq. But the same is true of most folks. Being right and getting your ideas implemented works to your benefit.
The main liberal critique of him is based on the idea that he was gaming the stats and misrepresenting things in his testimony to Congress, supposedly in order to sell the continuation of the war. But as events have shown, he wasn’t really gaming the stats–in many ways, conditions were getting a lot better on the ground.
Now, you might still disagree with the conclusions Petraeus and other war supporters draw from this. But that doesn’t make him a right wing hack. It makes him a General who badly wants to succeed in the difficult mission he’s been given.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Matt’s point is, in fact, pointing out that Petraeus isn’t a right wing hack.
Yes, he’s been very useful to some ridiculous propaganda campaigns, some of which he personally encouraged, but what Matt was just arguing is that Petraeus is “by no means a slavish adherent of the right-wing”.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:56 am
“… my guess is …”
Is the General a close friend of yours? Of one of your friends? No? So you based this “guess” on, what exactly?
October 9th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Yeah Patraeus’ September 2004 pro-bush Iraq stance op-ed in the WAPO was soo independent.
I’m sure Rove never saw it before it was published.
Lots and lots of active duty Lieutenant Generals write op-eds just before an election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49283-2004Sep25.html
You actually get paid to write these “opinions” Matt?
October 9th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I thought Obama was the “clean” one…
October 10th, 2008 at 2:21 am
That’s the most detailed official account I’ve seen about military activity in Iraq that actually involves Iraqis.
I don’t know General Patraeus. His manner has put me off in the past, but I must say that having his job, in Iraq, after what the micro-managing neo-con chicken hawks, their families, and their cronies had done to that country is not an enviable position to be in. As long as he’s in the military, he will be held to a put-up-or-shut-up standard that campaigning political figures can avoid.
When he’s not in display in Washington, I think it’s safe to say that the man is working. At the very least, he appointed the right person to write up that report.
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