Obama Afghan Plan Takes Fire in Senate From Right and Left
EmailAhead of tonight’s speech from President Obama at West Point on the direction of Afghanistan policy, my colleague Z. Byron Wolf has this observation from Capitol Hill: If there was any question that President Obama is trying to thread a political needle with his decision to surge more than 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, look at the strong reaction to reports on the surge that have drawn fire from both the right and the left – hours before the policy’s official unveiling in an address to the nation from West Point. Sen. Russ Feingold joined several House Democrats and Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., who represents the Marine base at Camp Lejeune and has opposed the Iraq war for years. “We had only 30,000 troops there at the end of last year, we have 70,000 troops now, and we’ll be at 100,000 at the end of this,” said Feingold, who added, “I’d like to see (President Obama) him propose a timeframe to withdraw our troops.” Feingold applauded reports that the President will propose a being to withdrawal by the end of 2011, but said that did not go far enough. “35,000 more troops is a big deal and its going to be 35,000 times harder to extricate them from all this,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. On the other side, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he would be concerned if President Obama lays out too strict a timeline for withdrawing American combat troops from Afghanistan after bringing the force level close to 100,000 next year. “I have deep concerns about setting a date certain for withdrawal,” McCain told reporters just off the Senate floor. “Success is what causes us to withdraw,” he said. “You don’t want to tell the enemy that you’re coming or when you’re leaving.” McCain has long supported an infusion of combat troops in Afghanistan and has complained that President Obama’s three-month strategy review was taking too long and putting the American troops already in Afghanistan at risk. Some Democratic leaders proposal for a new war surtax to pay for the surge also drew fire from McCain. “Not when we’re overspending, pork barrel spending, corrupt spending,” he said. “Just eliminate the pork. Eliminate the corruption. Stop the corruption around here,” McCain said. McCain argued that the federal government’s discretionary spending, which rose by more than 54 billion between the 2009 and 2010 budgets, is about the cost of the surge. Check out page 6. President Obama will need support from Republicans on Afghanistan as he tries to dispel frustration with his plan among members of his own party who either want to withdraw from Afghanistan or not commit more combat troops when it comes time to authorize spending for the surge. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had some harsh words for NATO allies who don’t want to surge their own troops in support of the US strategy in Afghanistan. “This is really the first test of NATO and I’ve been disheartened that it’s been so hard to get more troops,” said Graham. “Is it an organization that’s main goal is to provide military stability to Europe or is it an organization that can combat external threats to shared values. I think that’s an open-ended question.”
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action' 
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
You can be sure the address will end with “I inherited ths war”. When all this time I thought BHO worked and spent to get this job so he could be in charge. Being in charge sometimes requires you man up and quit whinning about the past.
Posted by: Albert Sanchez | December 1, 2009, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
amen sanchez….time to man up obama and do something other than blame other people.
Posted by: catman | December 1, 2009, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
Turn on your spell check Albert. Then, please clarify – how is our President “whinning” about the past?
Posted by: CenterOne | December 1, 2009, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
poor barry… he’s been dodging his presidential responsibilities for over a year now… spending his days with playing basketball, jetting around the world on his successful apology tours, throwin parties featuring 100 dollar a pound beef… and now, he is forced to commit to a decision (an urgent decision which took 3 months for him to come up with). and now he is catchin heck form both sides, boo hoo.
Posted by: realman1963 | December 1, 2009, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
Hey realman1963 – what’s your definition of “Presidential Responsibilities”? Was the President responsible for beginning a preemptive war in 2001, then focusing support and funding elsewhere? Was it “Presidential Responsibility” to dither for years while the Taliban built strong bases in Pakistan so it could launch large, coordinated, and effective attacks by the spring and summer of 2008, when violence in Afghanistan claimed more Coalition troops than died in Iraq ?
Posted by: CenterOne | December 1, 2009, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
centerone…the only policy i have seen in the absence of accomplishing anything is to whine about the past. enen the huffington post is chastising the pres over another meaningless stupid summit..this time about jobs. when you work in the for profit world you actually have to accomplish something to get paid. in the non profit world you merely have to talk about doing something.
Posted by: catman | December 1, 2009, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
catman: Yes, some people have derided Obama’s job summit as “meaningless” – but that did not stop House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) to announce his own jobs summit with conservative economists at his office.
Frankly, I’d rather wait until after Obama’s meeting on Thursday before complaining about whether it was “meaningless”. For example, the Treasury Department announced back in October it was working on a program to provide low-cost capital to community banks for lending to small businesses. Now that might be a nice announcement don’t ya think?
Regardless, I don’t see anything wrong with turning our nations focus to jobs, even it it begins with a “summit”.
Posted by: CenterOne | December 1, 2009, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm
TYPO: “propose a being to withdrawal” – should be “propose a begining to withdrawal” I assume.
POTUS is trying to pick this new turd of his up by the clean end… Good Luck!
Posted by: N2vip | December 1, 2009, 6:37 pm 6:37 pm
centerone…jobs should have been the focus in january 2009, not cap and trade, healthcare etc. thats the problem with this congress and obama…they put their unfunded agenda in front of jobs for americans. they dont care about you or me.
Posted by: catman | December 1, 2009, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
Catman, I don’t disagree – jobs should be our number one priority.
But healthcare is part of the overall jobs problem. Health insurance is so expensive that small businesses have trouble affording new employees. I’d rather spend business income on another employee instead of increasing payments to insurance companies.
And here’s my question: if the past 8 years only created 5 Million new jobs, why should America continue down that path?
Posted by: CenterOne | December 1, 2009, 7:38 pm 7:38 pm
i mean really im only in middle school and i think this is ridiculous! the other countries are going to look at us like o their are so selfish! lets not go to that country lets move to another country! i mean really come on obama be better for our country!!! terrorists are going to come into our country like 9/11! and hes letting the countries that were fighting for down! the bad people might try to take over, over there!! i mean really come on! mostly no one wants that!! and all he cares about is being in pictures and stuff like that!!!
Posted by: repulicangirl | December 1, 2009, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm
Listen I’m in the military and have been for some time…we need to get our boys out of there ASAP and worry about America and not anyone elses problems. OUR country needs help from OUR government not help others for now. Unless everyone commenting here is a millionare in which you shouldn’t be complaining anyways then take a look at what we need for a change and not them. Act like an American if your gonna complain like one
Posted by: Thatguy | December 1, 2009, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
I thought Obama gave a wonderful speech. He is a great orator and we will remember him for his eleqent way with words. He is inspirational, you have to hand it him. Afganistan has been our problem, we took our eye off the ball. I truly believe Obama did the right thing by weighing the options. A good president will always think carefully before committing troops. I believe he does care for our citizens, probably more than any other president in recent history.
Posted by: Lorri | December 1, 2009, 9:26 pm 9:26 pm
Lorri I agree that our president does care about out citizens more than any I can recall since maybe Kennedy…BUT that doesn’t change the fact that we need to take care of our citizens right now and nit everyone elses. I have friends who have been ‘over there’ and trust me..those people don’t want our help they want us out of there. Yes we have noble reasons for being there but america needs to worry about Americans right now. Our economy is in shambles we don’t have enough jobs to support our population…inflation is getting worse to and we need to fix those problems before we fix other countries who in this case don’t want our help to begin with.
Posted by: Thatguy | December 1, 2009, 9:40 pm 9:40 pm
Laurie I agree. In a political storm like we are experiencing today there is never a win win scenario. You must do what is right for the sake of what is right. No one is perfect no one will get it right everytime but thank God for those who are willing to think before they act.
Posted by: Tim | December 1, 2009, 9:41 pm 9:41 pm
When someone wants to forget a “Bad Dream”….Bush. They attack Reality. Crazy uh. The President is Taking care of the messes created by the hero of the Republicans, Ronald Reagan that began to ship our jobs overseas in the 1980′s, deregulating companies and the fiancial system to “reap havoc” over Americans. What were he thinking. Did he think America would be stronger economically? Didn’t he know that prosperity is power. Look around you..yes I’m old enough to remember what a Strong country were because we had prosperity and strong families with jobs that they were dedicated to, and companies took care of those that took care of them, their workers. Now thank the Republicans for this Mess also.
Posted by: sara | December 1, 2009, 10:49 pm 10:49 pm
Now back to the story….Will someone tell Senator McCain that he is a Hero for serving our country…but he’s NOT an Expert on NOTHING! Look what he shoved down our throats…Sarah Palin.
Posted by: sara | December 1, 2009, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
If Obama cared about jobs, that stimulus money would’ve been spent on it.
Much of it is still unspent, waiting to buy votes in 2010.
Why wasn’t it released in 2009?
Not an election year.
Posted by: Joe White | December 2, 2009, 12:19 am 12:19 am
“”"”"Will someone tell Senator McCain that he is a Hero for serving our country…but he’s NOT an Expert on NOTHING! “”"”"
Posted by: sara
News flash!!!! McCain’s military experience makes him a specialist and maybe even an expert on military matters. Heck, if you compare his experience with Obama’s, we would have to call him a genious!
Posted by: lfrichar | December 2, 2009, 9:22 am 9:22 am
It is pretty foolish to spell out what you intend to do, to your enemies.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 2, 2009, 10:27 am 10:27 am
There will always be people who cannot see the big picture. You cannot worry about people with little vision.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 2, 2009, 10:34 am 10:34 am
Ifricher I suppose Obama being a neighborhood activist cleaning up trash in the alleys and listening to the reverend Wright makes him an expert? Being ex military I would follow McCain before I would the trash man.
Posted by: Jim Rod | December 2, 2009, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
Lorri how does being Wonderful, a great orator, elequent and inspirational make him a great leader? You see you left out LEADER from your list. Obama as you say may be a good man but a good leader he is not. Obama is more of a Jimmy Carter leader. Obama waits for Polosi and Reid to tell him what to do. He watches the polls to see if he is all mighty to day or not. I do not hate the mnan. I do not like his policies which will punish the poor in the long run. Notice how every policy or bill he is trying to impose on us is always to go in effect at the end of his term? Sleep well knowing he has allowed Iran to NUC up while he waited on them to cow down.
Posted by: Jim Rod | December 2, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
So far the Oboma administration ignores the Americans he ask to pay the bill for another country we should not of been in the first place, he is asking for another American revolution I’m tired of spending money for some other country. Jobs creation bring back jobs that we were doing before shipped overseas to give wall street a bigger piece of the pie, I’m old enough to be disgusted, the people of this country I fought for in WW2, twelve bucks a month what did I FIGHT FOR? Its not the Americans fault and if it is I am sorry for my Part? The great people of the supreme court made Bush president what a disservice they done out country and they are still strutting there stuff, they are great Political Affiliated body. Mr. President wall street didn’t elect you and you are no better than anybody, not near as good as some. The greatest disservice we do is keep sending them back and back to Washington for the same old thing, you can see what Obamas promises were Worth, Nothing just like the rest.
Posted by: THWTCO | December 2, 2009, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm
centerone–”And here’s my question: if the past 8 years only created 5 Million new jobs, why should America continue down that path?”—
I like how you pad the numbers to try to make a weak point.. Unemployment went to 7.8 % at the end of the Clinton Administration. The Bush administration brought it back down to 5%… By my figures, thats an increase of 8 million jobs between the recession periods of 2002 and 2008. Let me guess where you got your figures, your counting both the job losses that occurred at the end of the Clinton administration and the jobs lost during the more recent mortgage industry recession against Bush’s numbers. Nice smoke and mirrors.. and I bet you actually belived the Clinton administration when they claimed to create 28 million new jobs too huh???
Posted by: arkievet | December 2, 2009, 1:36 pm 1:36 pm
Sara-”The President is Taking care of the messes created by the hero of the Republicans, Ronald Reagan that began to ship our jobs overseas in the 1980′s, deregulating companies and the fiancial system to “reap havoc” over Americans. What were he thinking. Did he think America would be stronger economically? Didn’t he know that prosperity is power. Look around you..yes I’m old enough to remember what a Strong country were because we had prosperity and strong families with jobs that they were dedicated to, and companies took care of those that took care of them, their workers. Now thank the Republicans for this Mess also.
_______________________________
Are you actually saying you were around long enough to know we were a stronger country economically BEFORE Reagan?? Let’s see after Carter:
Unemployment -12% – Inflation 14% Net job loss during the Carter years – @14 million. On the world stage we were laughing stocks who could not even free hostages from Iran.
After Reagan:
Unemployment – 7%, Inflation 8%, Net gains in unemployment @15 million. On the world stage we were again a power and under Reagan, the cold war ended and the Berlin wall fell.
Deregulation of the private sector along with reduced corporate taxes created the job growth.. Did jobs go overseas, yes, but jobs were created here as well. The “mess we are now in” was created by the deregulation of the mortgage industry which became law under Clinton and was overseen by DEMOCRATS.
And while Bush created almost 8 million jobs, Obama has lost over 10 million.
All while garnering almost as much national debt in one year as Bush created in 8 years.
Posted by: arkie vet | December 2, 2009, 2:01 pm 2:01 pm
thatguy –”Lorri I agree that our president does care about out citizens more than any I can recall since maybe Kennedy” —
And what makes you think this?
Is it the fact that we continue to bleed jobs in our economy because his stimulus was aimed more at payoffs to the special interests who elected him than real job creating expenditures?
Or is it because he supports Cap and Trade that will cost 10s of thousands more jobs?
Maybe its because he’s pushing a job killing, tax raising, healthcare plan, that will cause premiums to go up, more employers to drop their employee coverage, and currently has the support of only 38% of Americans?
Wouldn’t a president who cares about the people back off on a bill the over 60% of the people oppose??
Posted by: arkie vet | December 2, 2009, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
Good God Almighty !!
Here we go again !!
Of all places to give a speech on war with the major objective to retreat–West Point bad choice. Were’s the courage to win: like a father to his son or the coach to his team in last 2 sec. behind 2 pts.
Are we going to continue(pickup) the policies over +20yrs in showing weakness:
1980′s Lebanon–run
1990′s Saddam cont’ dirty tricks–blind eyes
Somolia–run
2 US embassies–nothing really
USS Cole–nothing
NKorea nuke(+20yrs)–nothing
Iran nuke(+10yrs)–nothing
This is not the right signal(sign) to our enemies. We are telling the world that we will not stand up to the school yard Bullies.
Oh Well…nobody cares about Hx or its’ lessons…until the next 9/11. then maybe Obama can stand next Bush Jr. in front of the ICC !!
Never again…!!
We are…!!
Posted by: TobinMCRet | December 2, 2009, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Why are we rushing troops at one million per troop, to a place where the enemy has left!?! Bewilidered, confused, “Twilight Zone”, pick your phrase, this don’t make sense!!! Bush was stupid, what’s THIS guy’s excuse!?!
Posted by: jafo | December 2, 2009, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
We on the left did not like the Bush/Cheney lies that got us into the Iraq War. As much as I do not want this war to continue it is up to President Obama and his military advisers to do what they think is right. It is good news that he is giving this approach an end game. Knowing that President Obama is not in the least a war monger is important. He will give the military time to get what needs to be done and then we will leave.
Posted by: Vicki | December 2, 2009, 7:50 pm 7:50 pm