Obama Faces Pushback From His Own Party on More Troops for Afghanistan

2 years ago

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President Obama will be speaking to West Point cadets -- and to the nation -- when he lays out his new strategy for Afghanistan next Tuesday, but his toughest audience may be Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says there is "serious unrest" in the party about spending billions more for the war, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

News reports have indicated that Obama is leaning toward sending 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan and asking increasingly reluctant NATO allies to supply another 10,000, which would add up to the 40,000 requested last September by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Pelosi said on Tuesday, in a conference call with bloggers, that funding a troop increase in Afghanistan would be the most difficult vote she could ask of House Democrats "especially at a time when there's such serious economic issues here at home." The Post noted that when Pelosi prodded her caucus in June to approve a $100 billion measure to meet the costs of Iraq and Afghanistan, she had promised them, "This is the very last time."

A Gallup poll conducted Nov. 20-22 found that a majority of Democrats -- 57 percent -- do not want to increase troop levels but would rather reduce them.

Filed Under: Democrats, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Obama Administration, Afghanistan, Congress

Tagged: daily guidance, DailyGuidance, nato, stanley mcchrystal, StanleyMcchrystal

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