Democratic Split Widens on Afghan Escalation
As Some Predict 'Revolt' Over Troop Hike, Others Back McChrystal's Call
The top Democrat Congressmen have largely come off the fence on the question of the Afghan escalation, and it seems that the party’s leadership is split roughly in half between supporting and opposing General Stanley McChrystal’s call for more troops.
Several of the top Congressmen, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, have become outspoken advocates of McChrystal’s call for 60,000 additional troops.
Meanwhile, others including House Appropriation Committee Chairman David Obey have been cautioning that if President Obama attempts to hive General McChrystal the huge build-up he wants, he could be facing a “revolt” and Congress could try to cut off funds for the escalation.
Yet so long as the Democrats are so split, this is probably a very empty threat. The Republican opposition is, with only a handful of notable exceptions, in favor of the McChrystal plan, and it would take a vast majority of the Democrats to actually block the funds successfully, a majority which at the moment doesn’t appear to exist.
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Don Bacon
October 9th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Jason Ditz continues to make sense, and so I have nothing to add to what he wrote. The chickenhawks continue to favor war and military spending, so I have even less to say about them, the bastards.
MvGuy
October 10th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
The whole exercise is sick…… LET THOSE THAT PROFIT GO SERVE IN AFGHANISTAN…UNOCAL.. AND friends of big oil and those opposed to the Islamic bomb…and India… it's wants to be a "player"
Follow the G-ddamn MONEY..!!!!!!!
paulBass
October 11th, 2009 at 2:20 am
maybe obama can run for his second term as a republican
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Sadat
October 12th, 2009 at 1:10 am
I think the United State has further plan behind Afghanistan in Med Asia and they need for more army soldiers to combate. In order to get close and surround main countries around Afghanistan they need change Afghanistan to a second Waziristan.
I am afraid that security is not a priority for international community in Afghanistan that is why insecurity is increasing and extending over the country.
No improvement were shown during last years, but we see the situation became worse. In Iraq US couild find Sadaam Hussain, but in Afghanistan it is almost eight years that they couldnt find Osama or Muhammad Omar. Even it is a question that Mullah Omar is exist or it is an American made symbul.