Gen. David Petraeus appeared to have passed out during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday, recovering enough to be escorted from the room.
The head of Central Command was in the midst of a dialogue with Arizona Sen. John McCain when he slumped over the witness table. Several officials gathered around Petraeus, who was able to stand up and walk out on his own.
The committee recessed its hearing for several minutes as lawmakers and aides determined whether Petraeus was well enough to continue. Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., suggested that Petraeus was dehydrated but had recovered quickly.
“General Petraeus appears to be doing very well,” he said.
UPDATE FROM ABC NEWS:
While testifying at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the US Central Command, passed out at the witness table.
Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, was in the middle of praising Petraeus for his efforts in Afghanistan when the four star general appears to have briefly passed out. The C-Span camera in the room was focused on McCain at the time, a soft rumpling noise could be heard as McCain looked surprised. The feed then went to a high shot from the back of the room. Someone could be overheard quietly saying “Oh my God” as several staffers rushed to help him.
Despite the dire look of the situation, less than 30 seconds later, Petraeus walked away from the table escorted by staffer.
A few moments later Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services committee, told reporters that Patraeus was now eating and starting to feel better.
Less than 15 minutes later, Petraeus returned to the witness stand, greeted by applause from those assembled in the room. But then, Levin adjourned the hearing until tomorrow. Both Levin and McCain praised Petraeus for his service before adjourning for the day.
Petraeus, who was treated for prostate cancer in 2009, is a marathon runner who is said to pride himself on his physical fitness. He survived a shot in the chest in 1991 when a soldier accidentally discharged his rifle.
As the general left the Capitol today, he told reporters that he will be back to testify tomorrow when the hearing resumes.
“I’ll eat breakfast tomorrow,” he said.
(Source: Fox News)
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4 Responses
Perhaps he was finally overcome with guilt over his claim that Israel is responsible for risks posed to US soldiers. Teshuva, not breakfast, will solve your problem.
Was I the only one that observed this?
I understand that it’s permitted and legal ( perhaps under the first amendment), however it is out of decency that I ask. How is it, that a person passes out and rescue workers rush over to help and photographers stand in the way to snap pictures of him slumped over? I think it’s ridiculous.
djkirschner – You should be thanking Gen Petraeus for your right to say stupid things instead of wondering if you’re the only person to observe him falling ill. He’s a great American!
rstpeter11-
I did not say that he should not be thanked or that he is not a great American. In fact, I believe both are quite true. My comments were merely directed at what I perceive to be his bizarrely misguided analysis of Israel.
As for my “right to say stupid things,” perhaps you need to distinguish between an analytical critique and an opinion, so permit me to assist you: the former may or may not be be well-reasoned and based upon facts; the latter is merely a view based on beliefs or emotions, which are often articulated in sarcasm to illustrate a point. Consequently, opinions are neither correct nor incorrect, they just are. That you view my comments as stupid is, well, how shall I say it, merely your opinion.