President vs. party on troop increase

[Truth2Tell]

Source: Washington Post

By Michael D. Shear and Paul Kane

President Obama will reveal his new Afghanistan war strategy in a speech Tuesday evening to cadets at West Point, but his most skeptical audience is likely to be the powerful Democrats on Capitol Hill who oppose a troop buildup.

Top Democrats have made it clear to Obama that he will not receive a friendly reception should he announce what is considered the leading option: sending 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The legislators have indicated that a request for more money to finance a beefed-up war effort will be met with frustration and, perhaps, a demand to raise taxes.

Even so, Obama appears ready to come close to accepting the recommendation of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, to add 40,000 more troops to the war effort. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday that several NATO countries will send an additional 5,000 troops to Afghanistan. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Obama had not yet informed members of his war council of his decision.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described what she called "serious unrest" in her caucus over the prospect of another vote to finance billions of dollars for an expanded war. It is, she said, the most difficult vote she can ask of the members of her party. "We need to know what the mission is, how this is further protecting the American people and is this the best way to do that, especially at a time when there's such serious economic issues here at home," she told bloggers on a Tuesday conference call.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/AR2009112500284.html?wprss=rss_politics

[Skittles]

1. President vs. common fucking sense

[Stumbler]

2. No shit... Welcome to Vietnam: Redux

[shadesofgray]

6. +1

[bluestateguy]

3. I would fully support David Obey's idea of a war tax on the rich

The rich sacrifice the least when this nation goes to war (especially since the draft was ended in 1973), and the rich benefit the most when the US wins those wars.

And the questions Pelosi asks seem perfectly fair to me.

Having said that, I think the troop increase just might have to be done.

[Mithreal]

4. Might have to be done? Irrelevant, it's going to happen no matter.

[Doctor_J]

5. Well in 14 months the president can work with a Repuke Congress

maybe that will be more to his liking

[lonestarnot]

7. Apparently he doesn't know Afghaninam when he sees it.

:shrug: