Andrea Mitchell just announced JK...

[YvonneCa]

...will be on her show tomorrow. Kerry 'batting cleanup' (my words) after Obama's speech. YEsssss! :patriot:

[Luftmensch067]

1. Yay!

Thanks for the heads up!

[YvonneCa]

13. You are most ...

...welcome. :)

[wisteria]

2. Thank you for letting me know. Does this show repeat?

I might miss out due to school.

[fedupinBushcountry]

3. Good

I so want to hear what he has to say on this. Right now I am not happy about 3 more years and the hardship it will be on so many military families. :(

[YvonneCa]

12. I know. Today is a tough day. I'm really...

...torn over what is right to do. I trust and support Obama...and JK...because they know so much more about this than I do. I'll trust their decision, whatever it is. But it is a really difficult day to be a progressive.

[Mass]

4. According to the Globe, here is Kerry's position on the issue

I am not very surprised by this as Kerry had already said several times that the number of troops were not the main issue there, but it is at odds with many Dems in the state.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/12/01/senator_kerry_poised_to_support_obamas_plan_to_send_more_troops_to_afghanistan/

On the other hand, it's looking like one prominent liberal Democrat is close to getting behind Mr. Obama's Afghanistan plan: Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

"Kerry is poised to endorse the outline of President Obama’s plan to send more troops to Afghanistan, a position that would put him at odds with a number of fellow Democrats in Massachusetts and in Congress," report the Boston Globe's Michael Kranish and Joseph Williams.

" Kerry has tentatively decided to back Obama’s new strategy, but wants to go over details, including precise troop numbers, with the president at a White House meeting today, said a Kerry aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision is not final. ...

"Kerry’s support is considered crucial because of his experience as a Vietnam War veteran and antiwar leader in the 1970s, and his current post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. If Kerry were to turn strongly against Obama after months of trying to shape the president’s new policy, it could influence wavering Democrats and undermine Obama’s effort."

[beachmom]

5. I've been away, but .... what is Pres. Obama's plan?

Do we know what it is yet?

Well, TPM has this:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/obama-sending-30000-more-troops-to-afghanistan.php?ref=fpa

President Obama will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, an administration official tells TPMDC.

The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity because Obama has not announced the new strategy yet to the nation, said the president "intervened" to make sure the military deploys these troops to the region faster than initially planned.

This will bring the total troops in Afghanistan to more than 100,000 - a jump of more than 60,000 since Obama took office in January.

They will be there within six months, the official said.

The New York Times describes it as a "more, sooner" policy. The president reached the conclusion after nine meetings of his war council.

In his speech tonight at West Point, Obama will talk about a timeframe for withdrawal.

So a spoonful of sugar (timeframe for withdrawal) to help the medicine (30K more troops) go down?

I hope Kerry knows what he is doing backing this plan. It could be a disaster. IWR Vote Part II.

He will no longer be welcome on FDL and DKos. Unless people are forced to compartmentalize global climate change from all other issues.

[karynnj]

6. Not really - only undenied leaks

The undenied leaks I have heard are:

30,000 to 35,000 troops (depending on which leak)
a goal to be out in 3 years, before the end of his first term.
a "new" strategy that turns progressively more over to the Afghanis.

If these are true, Obama did change the mission from McChrystal's but to something bigger than what Kerry was suggesting. But what? I guess we need to wait and hear what he says - and then likely wait to hear actual details over the next week.

(As to what I think, I think there really is no good solution and the reason why is Pakistan. I am not looking forward to DU/DK or anywhere else tomorrow.)

[blm]

7. I HATE that he's stuck doing this for Obama - and we all KNOW it's FOR Obama,

as a show of senate confidence in his leadership - Kerry has no choice, but, DAMN, this blows.

[wisteria]

8. He shouldn't be backing it for this reason. He did in support of Bush and

we all know what that got him. Senator Kerry has said before that we can not just leave Afghanistan because of Pakistan, but the mission in Afghanistan should be redefined and taken slowly - our presence there should become more and more limited over time.
I personally think that Senator Kerry will back this only if he does really approve of it.

[blm]

9. It's most likely Kerry's support was contingent upon a doable exit strategy.

And for that I am thankful.

I still see Kerry being stuck with the role he'll play publicly tomorrow on the news networks - getting Obama's back.

[karynnj]

11. I think Kerry can do that, maintaining his own independence,

if their positions are somewhat close. I remember in the campaign, where he was able to speak of the energy bill, giving Obama's position and the logic behind it, but noting that his his own choice was different.

I hope, if they are far apart, that Teresa convinces him that it is better to be true to himself.

[karynnj]

10. I'm not sure

In his own speech, he ruled out leaving, pure counterterrorism and the plan that McChrystal had. Now, Obama is increasing troops more than Kerry would have recommended, but it may come down to the policy and the strategy.

I would guess that deciding to come out against Obama's plan would likely mean that he would lose whatever influence he has. Only when we here the overall plan will we have any idea how much, if any influence Kerry had. I hope, for Kerry's own sake that if the plan really is one he can not believe in, he finds a way to say that - in as a polite a way possible. He really owes Obama nothing and this would be placing him in the position of the people he was so angry with in 1971. He needs to be true to himself. I noticed that he has a hearing on Afghanistan the road ahead on December 3rd at 9am - and the home page of the SFRC makes listening live so easy!

I would suspect though, that as they have said there is a change, it might be that some of Kerry's points were heard and they might be attempting something reasonably close to what he thought in his gut was the best plan. (Oddly, the announced plan might be further from Biden's, than Kerry's.)

[beachmom]

14. Now we know why Kerry was seated at the presidential table at the state dinner

last week. Not because any special friendship but because Obama NEEDS Kerry. I like Obama but, um, loyalty is not something he values long term. He never has.

[karynnj]

15. I would hope that Kerry is not so easily "bought"

but you are right that Kerry arguing against him would hurt.

[beachmom]

16. Well, of course not. I am just saying Obama really, really wanted

Kerry's support, and was going the full nine yards to get it.

[karynnj]

17. That makes sense

There were few details that I heard, so I am not sure how close it was to Kerry's own position. Though like Kerry, it rejected both the Biden plan and the McChrystal.

I just heard on MSNBC that Durbin's response was that as the President needed so much time, he needs time to decide what to say.

[ginnyinWI]

18. it will be interesting to hear what Biden has to say, too.

And JK tomorrow too of course.

I really hope Obama knows what he's doing. I've got confidence in him, though.

[JI7]

19. i don't think it's that

i think it has more to do with JK's role in South Asian foreign policy. other than Obama(and Bush before him)JK has probably been one of the most involved in dealing with issues in that area and has formed relationships with people from those nations.

[blm]

20. Nah - Any smart president would want an ally who speaks 4 languages at his dinner table

when entertaining foreign guests.

[karynnj]

21. In some cases yes, but the main language in India is English

I assume all of Kerry's conversation then was in English. The fact though is that he knows the culture and the people well. I also think that Beachmom was right. The fact is that as Chair of SFRC with a President from his party, he was an obvious candidate to have on the list. But, that did not mean that he had to be at the President's table - the SoS and the VP weren't.

[blm]

22. To some extent, sure, but it wouldn't be the over-riding reason, as Kerry, of all people,

would be the least impressed by a gesture. He has had important world leaders in his circle of influence since Obama was a schoolboy. So has Teresa.

[ObamaKerryDem]

23. Well, I watched it and he wasn't on there today?

Perhaps it was a scheduling conflict...or maybe he just decided to wait? :shrug:

[Luftmensch067]

24. Yeah, it's too bad!

If anyone sees anything about any other programs he might be on today, please let us know in a new thread? Thanks!

[ObamaKerryDem]

25. Yes, please do! :)

[wisteria]

26. Oh? I wonder what was behind this? Maybe congressional committments. n/t

[ObamaKerryDem]

27. That's what I was wondering. Unless he just decided to wait?

Weird how Andrea Mitchell didn't say anything about it, though. You think she would've mentioned that he had cancelled? :shrug:

[wisteria]

32. He seems to be involved with the Copenhagen trip these days.

It is getting close. It could be that, or he feels he is not entirely sold on the Obama plan doesn't have all the details and can't speak of it enthusiastically. And actually, Hillary and Gates are responsible for making the case for Obama.
But, still I always look forward to an appearance from Senator Kerry and I hurried home hoping I would get to see this one. Oh well, maybe this coming weekend or sometime soon.

[YvonneCa]

28. I turned it on a little late and kept...

...waiting...and waiting. I'm wondering, too. I apologize for the false start, you guys...but she even had his picture up when she promoted his appearance. ????? I'm wondering what happened, too.

[ObamaKerryDem]

30. It's not your fault!

:)

[YvonneCa]

33. Thank you. I feel bad for getting us all...

...excited. :7 I just watched all the clips on MSNBC from yesterday, but none showed the part I saw. I actually think Andrea messed up, now that I saw that Feinstein was on today. Yesterday, she said Feinstein would be on, and then a picture of Kerry and two other senators were displayed (no Feinstein), she said Kerry would be on and then gave one more name (I don't know if it was Leiberman or not). I think the pictures didn't match her script. Maybe. At least that's my guess. :)

I'm still sorry to disappoint all of you here. :(

[Luftmensch067]

34. So not your fault!

But now we all have to pray that CSPAN will get it right and televise tomorrow morning's SFRC hearing, ha bloody ha!

[karynnj]

35. It is easy to get on SFRC's pretty new site - they made a very obvious

link to the live hearing yesterday. The site looks better every day. They did a great job - you were right!

[Luftmensch067]

36. Yes, I foresee that site getting better and better, too!

But it's like the jackpot when CSPAN airs those hearings because you can capture them in high quality!

I'm sure they won't air it though!

[karynnj]

37. They did do the Armed Services one and the House Foreign Relations today

The ASC is on live at 9:00 and the House Foreign Services one at 1am.

[karynnj]

29. She had Feinstein and Lieberman on

The MSNBC person after her replayed their segments calling them 2 Democrats.

[wisteria]

31. Duh, the media is just so bad some days I can't stand it.

They don't even care enough to get it right.

Anyway, can you sum up the comments from both the Democrat and the Independent?