“Do we cut him a little slack for the maximally public rudeness of the senator?”
Senators can tend to be rude. I am sure Petraeus was unfazed by that.
I’d cut him slack for that comment because it doesn’t matter what he might think he allows or disallows. But it does cause me to wonder what he was thinking.
What I am prone to cut less slack over is the demoralizing effect of his message on the troops. What he is effectively saying is “my way is the only way, and you (the troops) will have a bozo yes-man leading you after I quit if I don’t get my way”.
He is undermining the war effort, should the next president choose a path that Petraeus does not prefer. He should remain silent - offer his best advice, and if he is unable to accept his orders he can resign. No media necessary.
What I am prone to cut less slack over is the demoralizing effect of his message on the troops. What he is effectively saying is “my way is the only way, and you (the troops) will have a bozo yes-man leading you after I quit if I don’t get my way”.
. . . which unfortunately does, IMHO, have the "merit" of being true.Which is why I consider it to be a questionable decision to enlist to serve under a Democratic president. Imagine serving under John Kerry! Or under Bill Clinton with Les Aspen as SecDef, or under Jimmy Carter, or Lyndon Johnson, or under "Bay of Pigs" Kennedy.