President Obama expected to address the nation Tuesday, Dec. 1, on his new Afghanistan policy,

[jefferson_dem]

BREAKING: President Barack Obama is expected to address the nation Tuesday, Dec. 1, on his new Afghanistan policy, likely in prime time, officials tell POLITICO.

MCCLATCHY HAS MORE: "President Barack Obama met Monday evening with his national security team to finalize a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he's called "a war of necessity" in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told McClatchy.

"Obama is expected to announce his long-awaited decision on Dec. 1, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill aimed at winning congressional support amid opposition by some Democrats who are worried about the strain on the U.S. Treasury and whether Afghanistan has become a quagmire, the officials said."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/

[flpoljunkie]

1. More from McClatchy via link from Talkingpointsmemo...

A U.S. military official used the term "decisional" to describe Monday evening's meeting among Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Gates, Clinton, National Security Adviser Jim Jones, Eikenberry and senior U.S. military commanders.

The administration's plan contains "off-ramps," points starting next June at which Obama could decide to continue the flow of troops, halt the deployments and adopt a more limited strategy or "begin looking very quickly at exiting" the country, depending on political and military progress, one defense official said.

"We have to start showing progress within six months on the political side or military side or that's it," the U.S. defense official said.

It's "not just how we get people there, but what's the strategy for getting them out," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/79380.html

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. Let's hope he announces a phased withdrawal

China can look after it for us.

[polichick]

3. Savannah Guthrie is reporting on msnbc that Peter Orszag (Budget Dir.) was...

...at the meeting yesterday - a first.

[flpoljunkie]

4. I thought that looked like Orzag. Interesting. Wasn't really listening to Guthrie.