Cantor: McChrystal wouldn't have made comments 'without being frustrated'

The second-ranking House Republican on Tuesday did not criticize or support Gen. Stanley McChrystal's critical comments about the administration, but suggested that questions need to be raised about its Afghan war strategy. 

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a statement that McChrystal and his aides would not have criticized administration officials without having a reason to do so. 

"Obviously a general and his top brass don’t make statements like these without being frustrated, so I hope that the president’s meeting with General McChrystal will include a frank discussion about what is happening on the ground, and whether the resources and the plan are there to defeat terrorists and accomplish our mission in Afghanistan," he said. 

Most members of Congress have criticized McChrystal's comments in a Rolling Stone article released Tuesday in which he and his aides had harsh words for President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other top officials who deal with Afghanistan. 

Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), the chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has called for McChrystal's ouster, saying that he wrongly spoke out in public against civilian officials who are supposed to have control over the military. 

While Cantor said that the article "raises a lot of concerns," he largely refrained from criticizing the general's comments directly. 

The Virginia Republican also took aim at congressional Democrats for their handling of a war funding measure. 

"Democrats in Congress are standing in the way of a clean bill to fund our troops and provide the resources needed because they want to lard it up with domestic spending," he said. "We need to get our troops these funds, and should do so without any pork or unrelated domestic spending items thrown in.”

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