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Senator says Afghan forces, not US, key to success - Yahoo! News
Obama is going to have a hard time selling his plan to even his own party, which is not good news for him. Levin does raise a fair point though, as Afghanistan at some point does need to do the majority of the heavy lifting there.
I am split on this, but overall agree that it is probably a good idea. If we want to go to war, we should pay for it. A good argument could be made that it is a bad time to add taxes(it is), but once you start allowing for that excuse, then we are never going to pay for anything, and end up with a deficit exactly like we have now.
Where was he the last 7 years when this "terribly important" was was on the back burner?
Associated Press- 1 hr 16 mins ago
Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that more Afghan army and police are central to succeeding in the 8-year-old war and more U.S. trainers and equipment can help meet that goal. But it's unclear, Levin said, what role tens of thousands additional combat troops will play and Obama has to make a compelling case during a national address he's scheduled to give Tuesday night from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
"The key here is an Afghan surge, not an American surge," said Levin, D-Mich. "We cannot, by ourselves, win (the) war."
Obama is going to have a hard time selling his plan to even his own party, which is not good news for him. Levin does raise a fair point though, as Afghanistan at some point does need to do the majority of the heavy lifting there.
Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has introduced legislation to impose a war surtax beginning in 2011. The bill would exempt service members and their families.
"If this war is important enough to engage in the long term, it's important enough to pay for," Obey said.
I am split on this, but overall agree that it is probably a good idea. If we want to go to war, we should pay for it. A good argument could be made that it is a bad time to add taxes(it is), but once you start allowing for that excuse, then we are never going to pay for anything, and end up with a deficit exactly like we have now.
With Obama's Afghanistan speech coming as the Senate takes up the debate over the health care overhaul, Lugar recommended that Congress postpone the health care effort until next year so lawmakers can concentrate on how to finance the war.
"The war is terribly important," Lugar said. "I would suggest we put aside the health care debate until next year ... and talk now about the essentials: the war and money."
Where was he the last 7 years when this "terribly important" was was on the back burner?