“BREAKING: Gen. Stanley #McChrystal has submitted his resignation, Time magazine’s Joe Klein told CNN,” tweets self-proclaimed “CNN producer + lifelong veggie + devoted tree hugger” Susan Durrwachter. (But then, isn’t that everyone’s mindset at CNN?)
Will President Obama deploy the Foster Plan in response? Daniel Foster writes at the Corner:
Refuse McChrystal’s resignation. The general is a man of honor, and no idiot. There’s a good chance he’ll show up in Washington with a resignation letter in hand. President Obama could refuse it, and then go to the public and say something like, “our efforts in Afghanistan are too important to let an unfortunate lapse of judgment like this undermine them. So I told General McChrystal that he must finish his task, and that I would not accept his resignation at this time.”
This might allow Obama to look like the bigger man while having it both ways. He’d avoid adding instability to his command structure at a crucial juncture in the war in Afghanistan, and avoid looking weak by not dismissing an insubordinate general.
The messaging would be: McChrystal knew he goofed up, and came to me with his gun and his badge. But this was my call, and I did what was best for the country.
Besides, the Beltway media actively promotes military criticism of the president — well, when there’s a Republican in the White House, at least.
Update: More at CNN’s Website:
Gen. Stanley McChrystal has submitted his resignation, Time magazine’s Joe Klein told CNN, citing an unnamed source. CNN is working to confirm Klein’s information.
That’s often best with Joe.
Update: “No independent confirmation yet,” Allahpundit writes, positing that “it’s possible that Klein’s source is McChrystal himself. He’s a big fan of Mac, despite the fact that he argued today at Time’s website that McChrystal should go.”
Update: Speaking of Daniel Foster, he tweets, “I have heard way off the record from well-placed Pentagon source that McChrystal has *not* resigned.” Blogger “Baseball Crank” responds, “So, looks like Joe Klein was wrong, McChrystal hasn’t resigned. Joe Klein, wrong? My worldview may crumble.”
Heh.
The anonymous but quite possibly equally lifelong veggie and devoted tree hugger Time magazine Twitter feed adds:
Clarification from Joe Klein: Gen. McChrystal as “offered to resign” he has NOT submitted his resignation.
Update: The Telegraph’s Toby Harnden adds:
Of course, offering to resign is not the same as actually resigning and it remains to be seen whether Mr Obama will accept the resignation. Donald Rumsfeld offered to resign as Pentagon chief on more than one occasion but President George W. Bush requested that he continue in post before eventually firing him on November 2006.
Harden also lists some possible successors to McChrystal, should the president not wish to deploy the Foster plan.
Update: Mark Knoller, CBS News’ White House correspondent:
CBS News confirms Gen McChrystal has offered a letter of resignation. Obama says no decision until after he meets with McChrystal tomorrow.
In other words, “Developing” (one way or another), as Matt Drudge would say.
Update: Real Clear Politics has the video of Klein on CNN.
Update: From Patterico guest blogger DRJ, followed by Patterico himself:
I guess McChrystal found the one way to get face time with Obama. Maybe they can talk about the war while he’s there.
(Just kidding. They’ll talk about what’s really important: the White House’s image.)
UPDATE BY PATTERICO x2: InstaAnalysis from InstaGlenn: “[T]he punchy tone of the McChrystal quotes, coupled with Gen. Petraeus’ collapse in front of Congress last week, suggests that these guys are close to worn out. That’s not a good thing, and it’s an unfortunate contrast to our golf-and-politics-as-usual political class in DC.”
Even with the generals worn out, the Foster Plan is looking pretty viable at least at the moment based on this.
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