Democrats Campaign For Defeat In Afghanistan
Dec 8, 2009 2 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
Boston (AP) – -President Obama’s Afghanistan surge is proving to be good politics – if you’re a Democrat who’s against it.
In Massachusetts, all of the Democrats running in a special primary to fill Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s seat oppose the surge, as do the two top Democrats fighting for the nomination for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat in 2010.
“I think we all agree this is wrong,” said Rep. Michael E. Capuano, one of the four Massachusetts Democrats who squared off in a debate last week heading into Tuesday’s primary.
Even in conservative-leaning Kentucky, Jack Conway, the leading Democratic candidate for the 2010 Senate race, said Mr. Obama’s plans fall short.
“I do not feel President Obama has adequately explained how he will get Pakistan involved in the effort to combat al Qaeda,” Mr. Conway said.
Mr. Obama last week announced plans to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, with a hazy timetable for them to withdraw beginning 18 months from now. That is six months after the congressional elections.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the administration understands the differing views.
“The president would be the first to tell you that people can look at the situation and come to different conclusions on both the Democratic and Republican side,” he said. “I think that was in some ways obviously true for Iraq.”
Even before next year’s elections, the issue will come to a head when Congress takes up its next spending bills.
Top members of Congress say the White House will have to send up a special war-funding bill, though the White House was noncommittal on whether it will do that.
