Blogs > Cliopatria > EMANUEL IMPLIES MCCHRYSTAL WILL NOT TESTIFY

Oct 19, 2009

EMANUEL IMPLIES MCCHRYSTAL WILL NOT TESTIFY




Do not hold your breath for a McChrystal Congressional testimony for according to Rahm Emanuel, president Obama does not want him to do so. Clearly, they do not trust him. Dickerson thought he got Rahm to commit to an delayed testimony but Rahm realized his error and sought to fix it. If the transcript will not convince you, I suggest you watch the tape (about 4:17 minutes into the discussion), especially Rahm's body language:
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DICKERSON: OK. So I don’t hear a notion that there is going to be a delay. Let me move on to this question of having General McChrystal testify. The Republicans really want this to happen. after the president makes his decision on the strategy. Will you encourage McChrystal to testify in front of Congress?

EMANUEL: Well, when the president is going to -- you know, that question we’ll get to, the first question is getting the policy and the review correct and then being able to explain to the American people what the president is asking of the country and its armed forces -- and not just the armed forces, but the country, and also what we’re expecting to achieve there in a sense of Afghanistan, and then the entire national security team will obviously be available to walk the Congress and the American people through that.

DICKERSON: Including McChrystal?

EMANUEL: If that is necessary, of course.

DICKERSON: Let’s move to health care.

EMANUEL: But I think it’s the president’s view the most important place for General McChrystal to be is in the theater of battle.

DICKERSON: In Afghanistan. Let’s move to health care.

Dickerson understands the implication but tactfully refrains from asking a follow up question.



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