Domestic issues have been front and center for the Obama administration thus far, but problems overseas are hardly fading into the background. Special envoy Richard Holbrooke arrived in Afghanistan late Thursday and met with key government officials in Kabul today. The meeting came days after a deadly Taliban attack on government buildings in the capital that underscored the security challenges the U.S. faces in the region.
National Journal this week asked Congressional Insiders and top political bloggers if they supported President Obama's plan to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. Among both groups, support was higher on the right. Some 91 percent of the congressional Republicans surveyed supported the move, compared to 57 percent of congressional Democrats. About 65 percent of right-leaning bloggers in the poll favored an Afghanistan "surge," while the percentage was essentially reversed among left-leaners.
Republican Insiders tended to base their support on the judgment and track record of the military: "Gen. [David] Petraeus set the U.S. on a direction to achieve our goals in Iraq. And given the manpower, time, and resources, he should be able to accomplish the same in Afghanistan," one said. Democrats were generally supportive, but most quoted by National Journal had an eye on the big picture. One undecided voter said, "It depends. If they are merely a military 'force,' then no, nothing will change. If they are used to allow for a true shift in approach toward a more pro-Afghan effort, then yes."
The need for more than just a military response was also a common refrain among bloggers. "It's about keeping Afghanistan from becoming a failed state as Pakistan becomes more unstable," wrote left-leaning blogger Taylor Marsh, who voted yes. "Troops alone are not the answer, as everyone knows." But Jon Henke of The Next Right, who voted no, said, "It's hard to see how we could prevent terrorists from operating there except by (a) permanently occupying the country, or (b) building massive, countrywide infrastructure, convincing the Afghanistan people to relocate across the country and moving the Afghans away from their historically tribal approach to society. Both approaches seem impractical."
Insiders and bloggers were also asked if recent events in Washington had changed their minds about the prospect of bipartisanship under Obama. "More encouraged" scored in the single digits among all four groups. "Less encouraged" got majorities from all but left-leaning bloggers, who opted for "no change" by 53 percent.
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