Posted on 11/27/2009 12:50:08 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON As President Barack Obama prepares to announce his long-awaited decision on Afghanistan, many war-weary Democrats in Congress are holding their tongues, uneasy about the possibility of a troop surge but wanting to give Obama space to make a defining decision of his presidency.
San Jose's Mike Honda is not one of them.
"I would oppose it," said the soft-spoken, unassuming Democratic congressman, who has emerged as a leading voice of progressives in Congress who oppose a troop buildup in Afghanistan.
Though his position is consistent with his liberal bent on most issues, Honda does not relish standing in the way of the man he worked hard to get elected president.
And his dilemma points to a larger difficulty for Obama resistance among Democrats to a long and increasingly unpopular war, and potentially his first major rift with his own party should he decide to follow the advice of some top military commanders to send tens of thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan. Such a buildup would cost billions of dollars that Congress must approve.
"It's not fun," Honda said of disagreeing with the president. "But trying to go in there with a traditional fighting force I don't think is going to work." The current situation, he added, is not unlike that of Vietnam in the 1960s, when the U.S. escalated a war that turned out to be unwinnable.
"If we learned anything from Vietnam, we didn't understand who we were fighting with," Honda said.
...
The White House is signaling that Obama has settled on sending up to 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in an attempt to root out al-Qaida and "dismantle and degrade the enemy." ..
But there are growing signs that a troop surge of that size will face serious skepticism in Congress. ..
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
I want to bring all the troops home.
Obammy’s rules of engagement are a death sentence.
Guess Obummers in for a liberal spankin!
Better to get them out if the administration is not committed to winning, and is shackling our guys with suffocating ROE.
Is there even one issue in which liberals are correct?
Liberals all.. the bay area voting public is a haven for covens of dedicated socialists , some out and out marxists, working for and electing the same idiots that will eventually get more blown up here .. all the while forgetting the bill the victims will also be asked to pay for the cleanup fee.
Mike Honda is also the worst enemy for the unborn.
Yeah, send San Jose's policemen instead.
We need a mass produced bumper sticker saying "Appeasement is not the Answer".
“If we learned anything from Vietnam, we didn’t understand who we were fighting with,”
What a dumbass
Wow. What a way to lay on extra helpings of bias. oooh...soft-spoken...ooooh...unassuming.... I get all goose-pimply over these subtle warm-fuzzies.
Contrast that with "...said the hard-as-nails, angry Republican congressman...
Pleez. These little piggies squeal at the cost of Toilet-stan, but Crap & Trade / DeathCare: "costs?" "what costs????"
Nauseating....and predictable.This *is* Massachusetts,after all.
Sending 34,000 over 2 1/2 years is not an insurgency, it’s a trickle.
You mean, “it’s not a surge, it’s a trickle”... right?
I like their solution to add a 5% Afghan war tax. To see the expression on Sean Penn’s face when he gets his paycheck with the war tax on it, priceless. At least, I would know that my tax was going to something worthwhile.
He is a Dumb @ss
If we learned anything from Vietnam, we didnt understand who we were fighting with,
Same as now, Yellow bellied democrats, Responsible for more human deaths than any dictator in history
Honda has bad grammar, too.
Heyup. I lay the killing fields at their feet.
...many war-weary Democrats in Congress are holding their tongues, uneasy about the possibility of a troop surge but wanting to give Obama space to make a defining decision of his presidency. San Jose's Mike Honda... "I would oppose it," ...Though his position is consistent with his liberal bent on most issues, Honda does not relish standing in the way of the man he worked hard to get elected president... "It's not fun," Honda said of disagreeing with the president. "But trying to go in there with a traditional fighting force I don't think is going to work." The current situation, he added, is not unlike that of Vietnam in the 1960s, when the U.S. escalated a war that turned out to be unwinnable. If we learned anything from Vietnam, we didn't understand who we were fighting with," Honda said.WRONG! If we learned anything from Vietnam it was, don't let Democrats control the Senate, and definitely don't let them fight a war.
Thank you, I tried to convince my stepdad before he died that not one American soldier lost Vietnam and that while they were there the people were safe. When we left the domino effect did happen look at Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam.. How many millions died because of the Libtard Treasoneous scum.. My blood is boiling.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.