by bartleby the scrivener (photograph: US government work by Pete Souza from official Whitehouse photostream)| Obama told federal lawmakers he has no plans to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan, though he has not yet decided on the major troop buildup recommended by Gen. McChrystal, who has requested 40,000 more. (NYT)
"While some Democrats said they would support whatever he decided, others challenged him about sending more troops. And Republicans pressed him to order the escalation without delay, leading to a pointed exchange between the president and Senator John McCain of Arizona, his Republican opponent from last year’s election."Mr. McCain told the president that “time is not on our side.” He added, “This should not be a leisurely process,” according to several people in the room.
On the whole, though, The New York Times describes the discussion on both sides as "civil" and contrasts it with the health care debate. Whatever. The one thing that does seem clear is that Obama won't be getting us out of Afghanistan any time soon. "“There is no option that would entail a dramatic reduction in troops,” said one administration official, who, like others quoted in this article, requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting."" (NYT)
At HuffPost, Allison Kilkenny asks why:
According to an August Washington Post-ABC News poll, 51 percent of adults now say the war is not worth fighting. Less than half, 47 percent, say the war is worth its costs. Those strongly opposed (41 percent) outweigh strong proponents (31 percent)....
The "leaving Afghanistan" opinion is based on the opinion that the United States has no right to nation build in autonomous countries, and is making life hell for Afghans. "Leaving Afghanistan" is based on the reality that democracy cannot be exported to other countries....
The Times reports that the "tone was civil and restrained" at Obama's meeting with Congressional leaders. That's a shame. It would be a great time for one of our elected leaders to stand up and actually speak for the American people. Shouting would not be inappropriate, passionate dissent, invaluable. The only unacceptable approach to Afghanistan is to ignore the will of the American people, who are paying for the war, and the will of the Afghans, who are dying because of the whims of a tiny tribe of D.C. chicken hawks.
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