The Rolling Stone profile of General Stanley McChrystal, in which the general and his men appear highly critical of the White House, has already resulted in a formal apology from McChrystal and a summons to Washington. Many are calling for McChrystal to be fired, while others are making the case for keeping him.

This video of Rolling Stone editor Eric Bates being interviewed on CNN isn't likely to calm the waters. Bates says McChrystal was in the room when his men made some of the harshest reported remarks about the Obama administration. He also notes that since the article went through rigorous fact-checking, McChrystal could hardly have been unaware what was coming. The subtext seems to be this: it's hard to paint this as all a big misunderstanding or a mistake.

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Heather Horn