General Petraeus Faints in Senate Hearing

I can imagine a man of General Petraeus' stature would do about anything to get out of attending a Senate hearing. The "faint" happened after Senate members pushed for an answer to the lingering question: can we meet Obama's deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan, and was it wise to tell telegraph the deadline to allies and the enemy? Senator John McCain was speaking at the time. How many times has this fine man gone through this inane conversation with Capitol Hill?

General David Petraeus

WASHINGTON — The commander of American forces in the Middle East. Gen. David H. Petraeus appeared to swoon or faint briefly during an intense period of questioning by senators Tuesday on whether the military can fulfill President Obama's orders to begin pulling troops from Afghanistan in July of next year. 

 General Petraeus, a long-distance runner, pitched forward toward the microphone where he was seated, and was escorted from the Senate hearing room as the session was adjourned by Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

The General has told the press he "got a little light-headed, a little dehydrated." Petraeus has reentered the hearing room.