Demanding an Afghanistan Exit Strategy

[bigtree]

Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern may have supported Barack Obama for president last year.

But McGovern is not willing to write Obama a blank check for endless warmaking.

The congressman announced Thursday that he would vote against providing more funding for the Obama administration's badly misguided request for $94.2 billion in "emergency" supplemental funding to maintain the U.S. occupation of Iraq and to surge 21,000 more U.S. troops and trainers into Afghanistan.

On Thursday, McGovern introduced H.R. 2404, a house resolution requesting that President Obama provide an exit strategy for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan by the end of the year.

The measure has 73 cosponsors (http://peaceblog.wordpress.com/), most of them Democrats associated with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Several powerful committee chairs have signed on, including Michigan Democrat John Conyers (Judiciary) and Minnesota Democrat Jim Oberstar (Transportation and Infrastructure). Additionally, there are a number of Republican backers, including longtime Iraq War critics such as Walter Jones of North Carolina, John Duncan of Tennessee and Ron Paul of Texas. Some unexpected Republicans has signed on, as well, led by California conservative Dane Rohrabacher.


read more: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/435878/demanding_an_afghanistan_exit_strategy


related:

McGovern fights Afghan war funding
Representative James McGovern of Massachusetts, who has launched the only effort in the US House to oppose President Obama's plans for the Afghan war, received an unexpected boost of support today from a group of Afghan and Iraqi war veterans, who raced around Capitol Hill lobbying for his bill.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/05/mcgovern_fights.html

[leftofthedial]

1. good for him.

we clearly have no exit strategy and no clearly articulated objective. "Pakistan is a scary mess so let's send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan" is not a plan.

[bigtree]

2. it's an uphill battle

. . . as loosely evidenced by the interest in this thread.

[leftofthedial]

3. The mindless lockstep Obama crowd here

is unnatural.

[bigtree]

7. you just can't have as much support as he had in the election

. . . and expect that to wane the first months. I think the defenders of his military policy and team are coming down to the last ridiculous planks of their support. I can remember back to the days when almost nothing about the administration offended. Many oxen gored since then . . .

[unhappycamper]

4. Hi BT!!!!

:hi:

I've been taking a posting break, and want you to know I am extremely interested in Afghanistan. I've been reading most of the stuff you've been posting here and I agree with everything you've been writing. I'm in the process of working up another rant. . . perhaps next week or next month.

Keep writing about the military budget ( do you believe those bastards slipped in another $1.8 billion for three more LCS ships and another $5.3 billion for another DDG-1000?) And the Navy had the balls to ask for a $163 million supplemental to fix the submarine and landing ship collision!!!

[bigtree]

5. backatcha, unhappycamper

You see how the vets have Rep. McGovern's back on this? Thanks again for all you do, pal.

The numbers in the budget are pretty overwhelming, by design. I'm still relying on others to sort it all out. One thing for certain though, we need Congress to ultimately sort it all out and I'm not sure we have the political energy this round to make much of a stand (even though we will.) The CPC is about the only lifeline we have there, but I expect to have more support for limiting or managing the administration's expenditures, but I think we'll have to wait until more shit hits (unfortunately). :hi:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. After years of funding lost wars, it would be nice if congress finally started using it's power.

Wars can't happen without money. Congress has the power to end any war. It's been sitting on it's hands long enough while terrible price has been paid in lives and treasure.

The war in Vietnam finally ended because congress finally cut the spending. They can do it again.

[Mari333]

8. good. nt

[slipslidingaway]

9. knr nt

[bvar22]

10. It was WRONG when Bush did it.

It is STILL WRONG when Obama does it.

No military objective + No exit strategy = Quagmire

Out NOW!