All the debate centered on Congressional hearings, where BP CEO Tony Hayward will be grilled on his companies handling of the Gulf Oil spill. But another hearing had been going on which has equally been contentious; military progress in Afghanistan.
Military and defense leaders have complained about the negative perceptions of war that’s taken hold in Congress without giving the military the chance to complete its mission. Congress is growing skeptical of the war in Afghanistan and the mounting casualties, with polls showing that Americans have little appetite for an open-ended commitment there.
The debate is coming six months after President Obama increased the number of forces in Afghanistan as part of his surge strategy, but with a promise to begin withdrawing troops in July 2011. That pledge helped ease Democratic complainants of a long term commitment in Afghanistan, but they are now concerned with how it will be perceived by their constituents come November.
It seems hypocritical of Democrats as they has a different tune in 2008, when they kept repeating we should have been focusing on Afghanistan all along. Even the president campaigned that he would focus on Afghanistan, well I guess promise's made while campaigning are forgotten once elected.
To bad each side has its eye on a different set of priorities. Congress, with the mid-term elections, and the military on the mission in Afghanistan.
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