Rolling Stone broke rules over Stanley McChrystal interview

London Telegraph Blogs (U.K.) ^ | June 26, 2010 | Toby Harnden

[Schnucki]

So now we know. It is mind-bogglingly inexplicable why this is only emerging now (though I have one theory on that – see below) but it turns out that Rolling Stone did not run all its quotations past McChrystal’s staff as their editor said they did. The general’s staff now say that all the offensive quotations were clearly off the record. So far from this being “terrific journalism” as my colleague Harry Mount put it, the Rolling Stone piece now looks much more like a disgrace to the profession.

I say mind-boggling because if McChrystal’s staff had come out with this in the first few hours of the furore on Tuesday morning then the entire narrative of the week would have changed and the general might very well still be in his job today.

My hunch as to why it didn’t come out earlier? Basically, because McChrystal is an honourable man who thought it would be unseemly to quibble about the details. There could have been a tactical element to that, certainly – perhaps he or his staff calculated that trying to wriggle out of things would not be viewed kindly by Obama and that it could have fuelled a row with Rolling Stone that might have made things worse (if so, how wrong they were).

Politico has a list of the 30 fact-checking questions submitted. The most interesting one is number 30 in which Rolling STone asks whether McChrystal did indeed vote for Obama. The reponse – irony of ironies – was this:

IMPORTANT — PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE THIS — THIS IS PERSONAL AND PRIVATE INFORMATION AND UNREALTED TO HIS JOB. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO SHARE. MY REASON FOR THIS IS IT WOULD PRESENT AN UNDUE COMMAND INFLLUENCE ON JUNIOR OFFICERS

[driftdiver]

1. Further confirmation that he did vote for BO.
2. Further proof they were stupid to have the interview in the first place.

[hennie pennie]

That's interesting.

Is there a possibility that Mcchrystal can sue ROLLING STONE -- perhaps bankrupting them???

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Mccrystal wanted this to come out.

[SuziQ]

Is anyone truly surprised?

[dfwgator]

A pox on all their houses, McChrystal, Rolling Stone and Obama.

[tcrlaf]

So, Rolling Stone F’d Obama?
How ironic...
Now “The One!” is forced to turn to Bush’s Lib-hated General to pull his a** out of the fire.

That’s just GOT to be sending the hate-filled leftists in to orbit.

[bray]

The RS did the troops a favor by dumping this Wesley Clark clone.

Pray for America and Our Troops

[classified]

Your right! McCrystal knew that off the record means on the record with a Commie Rag like the Rolling Stone. He wanted them to repeat it!

[kbennkc]

Here are the rules.

There are no rules . If they have been given sensitive information prosecute the lame who gave it to them .

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

The RS did the troops a favor by dumping this Wesley Clark clone.

Pray for America and Our Troops

Amen!

Now that this moron--who advanced and EMBRACED the concept that winning the "Hearts and Minds" of the barbaric, Islamo-Fascist, and the 7th Century Tribal Chiefs and villagers, took precedent over the safety of his men (FOR THAT ALONE, I CONSIDER HIM A SCUMBAG AND I DON'T CARE HOW MANY MEDALS HE HAS OR HOW LONG HE HAS SERVED HONORABLY)-- has been replaced, maybe (if Patraeus reverses the INSANE ROE's) a few more of our brave Warriors will make it home, who might not have!!!

A Nam Vet who witnessed and experienced similar ROE's (though not nearly as idiotic) while serving there and knows the damage they caused!

[Hoosier-Daddy]

“You f#cked up, you trusted us.”

[uncbob]

I say mind-boggling because if McChrystal’s staff had come out with this in the first few hours of the furore on Tuesday morning then the entire narrative of the week would have changed and the general might very well still be in his job today.

Yeah right--insults off the record don't matter

And BTW I think the American public has a right to know what the military from the generals down to the Pfcs think about those that send them to war

[KittyKares]

Reporters want a scoop. Noone should ever tell a reporter anything they don’t want seen in the paper the next day.

[Red Steel]

Mccrystal wanted this to come out.

Yes, I think so too. He sacrificed his command to get things changed. Obama is in a political box now. Patreus will get what he wants.

[JimSEA]

So, his mistake is he expected a snake not to act like a snake. Fatal error.

[BARLF]

http://www.centcom.mil/en/from-the-commander/commanders-may-6-speech-at-the-american-enterprise-institute.html

Please, take the time to read this speech given by General Petraeus.

[Rocky]

I think this was McChrystal’s way of getting out of Afghanistan, where Obama’s rules of engagement make our military presence a losing proposition.

[driftless2]

I find it highly interesting that a soldier with the bonafides of McChrystal would be so naive about a left-wing rag such as Rollingstoned. Rollingstoned has been out to get the military since its inception. They are undoubtedly anti anything the military does and for that matter anything that is not extremely leftist oriented. Their views of capitalism assuredly match the views of The Nation and all the other extreme leftist nutty rags. Why the general thought he could trust the leftist nutjobs at RS is unfathomable.