Pelosi calls Afghan Karzai "unworthy partner" - Reuters

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

Good news along with Specter becoming a born-again dove. Now, stop funding it, Nancy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091120/pl_nm/us_afghanistan_usa_pelosi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai is an "unworthy partner" who does not deserve a big boost either in U.S. troops or civilian aid, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Pelosi, a skeptic on sending more troops to Afghanistan, also said in an interview with National Public Radio aired on Friday that there was not strong support among her fellow Democrats in Congress for "any big ramp-up of troops" to oppose resurgent Taliban forces.

She told NPR she had asked fellow Democrats to give President Barack Obama room to decide his Afghan strategy, which is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Once Obama, also a Democrat, announces his decision, lawmakers would "not be shy" about responding, she said. "How can we ask the American people to pay a big price in lives and limbs and also in dollars if we don't have a connection to a reliable partner?"

Recently the number of war critics in the U.S. Congress has grown. A troop increase by the president could make Democratic lawmakers nervous ahead of next year's congressional elections.

[Captain Hilts]

1. I agree with her. But this is NOT a good time to say this. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Why is it not a good time? It puts pressure on Obama to not escalate.

Which I think/hope is the point of her message.

[bigtree]

3. wow

I'm juxtaposing this against the NYT article today which highlighted Secretary Clinton's close relationship with the man. To the Secretary's credit, it did mention the scolding she gave him.

[cloudbase]

4. Perhaps she's saying this with

Obama's blessing, sort of running it up the pole to gauge the reaction. She's correct, though.

[Captain Hilts]

5. I hope that she's doing it with the P's assent. And that SoS got a 'heads up'. nt