Do American Presidents not like receiving news from their generals?

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General Shinseki was the bearer of bad news to the Bush White House about the amount of troops that would actually be needed in Iraq, and the DoD essentially went after him for his comments.

General McChrystal, like Shinseki, recently told truth to power and laid it out to the Obama administration publicly what would be needed in afghanistan....and now is receiving similar pressure from not only the DoD Secretary but President Obama himself.

Do presidents just not like hearing bad news aired out to the public?
 
Did you ever see the "Hitler getting angry at his generals" video on You Tube? And the many parodies that use it?

That's what happens when leaders receive news from their generals. Often the news is not good.
 
Both Shinseki and McChrystal were/are doing their duty, however the truth tends to be a casualty when politics is involved. Funny of course, they are the ones who are carrying out the orders for a war and have no control over stopping/starting the war - that would be their bosses.

Bush never met with Shinseki personally - he got Rumsfeld to can him. Made him save face.

Obama will NOT be able to can McChrystal. He's committed to Afghanistan in the way that Bush was committed to Iraq since Afghanistan is supposed to be the "good war."

Edit - Actually, if anyone here remembers, Shinseki had aired his views ever prior to that Congressional hearing, but it was done BEHIND CLOSED DOORS in the DoD.

I suppose its expected that Presidents should demand some degree of loyalty from the military. After all, would you want the head of the IRS on national TV spilling the secrets of the tax system?

Now that would cause a riot. ;-)
 
No one is saying that Obama is not listening to McChrystal. He's talking with him, as well as other generals, plus other military and governmental advisors. The criticism was airing his disagreement in a casual interview. (Shinseki was testifying before Congress.)

Fun fact: Shinseki is in the Obama cabinet as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
 
No one is saying that Obama is not listening to McChrystal. He's talking with him, as well as other generals, plus other military and governmental advisors. The criticism was airing his disagreement in a casual interview. (Shinseki was testifying before Congress.)

Fun fact: Shinseki is in the Obama cabinet as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
 
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