McCain: Afghanistan Tests Obama As Commander In Chief
The decision facing President Obama will test his leadership as the nation's commander in chief, Sen. John McCain said today after a White House meeting on Afghanistan.
"Of course it is," he told reporters after the meeting. "I'm sure the president is very aware of that, and that's why he's going through the process that he's going through."
The former Republican presidential nominee urged his former rival to act "with deliberate haste" in making a determination on Afghanistan, saying that time "is not on our side." He said that while a number of options should be considered, the White House should give special weight to the recommendations coming from commanders in the field.
"They were correct in employing the strategy that succeeded in Iraq. That strategy, adjusted to the different conditions in Afghanistan, can work in Afghanistan as well," he said.
He also took issue with the notion believed to be coming from the White House that the Taliban should be targeted differently than al Qaida.
"We all know that if the Taliban come back, al Qaida will come back," he said. "I don't think it's a proper reading of both history and the situation to somehow think that al Qaida will not quickly emerge in Afghanistan if it falls to the Taliban."
House Majority Leader John Boehner said that his party in the House stands by the previous stated goal with regard to Afghanistan: to deny al Qaida and the Taliban safe haven. "If that is the goal, I believe that my colleagues on the House side will be there to support him," he said.
He, too, urged Obama to press forward with a decision soon.
"We need to remember that every day that goes by, the troops that we do have there are in greater danger," he said. "We need to get this right. And I'm hopeful that the president will make a strong decision.
Speaking for the Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described today's meeting as "respectful," while acknowledging the "diversity of opinion" in the room. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid initially said that his sense from the participants on both sides of the aisle was that "whatever decision you make, we'll support it." He later hedged, as did Pelosi.
"There was agreement that it's a difficult decision for the president to make," she said. "Whether we agreed with it or voted for it remains to be seen."