How Would People Look At Prof. Groeteschele?

I know that a lot of people in Fail Safe are depicted as being brought to the breaking point psychologically, but Prof. Groeteschele wasn't a military guy, he was just a civilian adviser basically. Yet at one point he suggests that the U.S. military not just allow the strike on the USSR, but that they should turn it into a huge nuclear attack so that they can completely wipe out the Soviets.

What's interesting is that when Groeteschele suggests they attack, he isn't even having a nervous or mental breakdown, he's coolly and reasonably stating that it would be better to wipe out the entire USSR with nuclear weapons. He even mentions the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and almost sounds like the only thing wrong with it was that the Japanese couldn't completely cripple the U.S. (although the Japanese were A. targeting a military base, not civilians and B. Not trying to wipe out huge population centers instantaneously). Granted, he was a Holocaust survivor but you'd think he'd rather not see another huge loss of life rather than advising in favor of it.

If he was one of the generals it might seem a little more normal but it surprised me that this scientist and otherwise normal person suddenly suggests that the U.S. wipe out the entire USSR. Does anyone else think people would maybe look at Groeteschele more along the lines of a secret psychopath or something after it was all over?

Can't be too careful with all those weirdos running around.