In a move sure to infuriate the Left in his own Party, President Barack Obama appears set to announce that he will send 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan in a “war of necessity.”
“President Barack Obama Met Monday Evening With His National Security Team To Finalize A Plan To Dispatch Some 34,000 Additional U.S. Troops Over The Next Year To What He's Called ‘A War Of Necessity’ In Afghanistan.” (Jonathan S. Landay, John Walcott and Nancy A. Youssef, “Obama Plans To Send 34,000 More Troops To Afghanistan,” McClatchy, 11/23/09)
Obama’s decision will surely set up a war within the President’s own party. On the Left you have two factions opposed to sending more troops, Members of Congress and MoveOn.
In Congress, Members on the Left are calling for a “war tax” to pay for any increase in troops:
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) Is Calling For Tax Increase To Pay For More Troops In Afghanistan. “Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for additional troops sent to Afghanistan and that NATO should provide half of the new soldiers.” (Viola Gienger, “High-Income Tax May Be Needed For Afghan War Cost, Levin Says,” Bloomberg, 11/20/09)
Increase Tax On “Wealthier Taxpayers” Because They’ve “Done Well.” “That cost, Levin said, should be paid by wealthier taxpayers. ‘They have done incredibly well, and I think that it’s important that we pay for it if we possibly can’ instead of increasing the federal debt load, the senator said.” (Viola Gienger, “High-Income Tax May Be Needed For Afghan War Cost, Levin Says,” Bloomberg, 11/20/09)
“An ‘Additional Income Tax To The Upper Brackets, Folks Earning More Than $200,000 Or $250,000,’ Could Fund More Troops, Levin, A Michigan Democrat Said.” (Viola Gienger, “High-Income Tax May Be Needed For Afghan War Cost, Levin Says,” Bloomberg, 11/20/09)
With MoveOn, the President will not only see opposition to his decision to send more troops, but backlash because the radical group already called on Obama to cut and run:
In September, MoveOn Called On Obama To Begin “Exit Strategy” In Afghanistan. “In its first direct pressure on President Obama over a major war-and-peace issue, MoveOn will call on the president today to develop an exit strategy for Afghanistan, a MoveOn official confirms to me.” (Greg Sargent, “MoveOn To Call On Obama To Develop Exit Strategy For Afghanistan,” The Plum Line, 9/25/09)
• “MoveOn will blast an email to its massive list later today calling for members to write to the White House and demand ‘a clear exit strategy,’ the official confirms.” (Greg Sargent, “MoveOn To Call On Obama To Develop Exit Strategy For Afghanistan,” The Plum Line, 9/25/09)
MoveOn’s opposition is significant because it “owns” the Democrat Party:
As Far Back As 2005, MoveOn Claimed To Own The Democrat Party. “Now it’s our party: we bought it, we own it, and we’re going to take it back.” (Adam C. Smith, “Unshaven, Unbowed And In Our Face,” St. Petersburg Times, 2/18/05)
In 2005, Roll Call Reported That Harry Reid’s (D-NV) Chief Of Staff Said MoveOn “Effectively Represents An Important Part Of Our Constituency.” (Chris Cillizza, “MoveOn Goes Mainstream,” Roll Call, 4/13/05)
Roll Call Also Reported Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) And Her Staff Have Weekly Meetings Or Calls With MoveOn’s Representatives. “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) has worked with MoveOn since being elected the top Democrat in the House leadership in late 2002, but the relationship between the two grew closer during the fight over adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, said spokeswoman Jennifer Crider. Crider added that Pelosi or her staff have calls and meetings ‘on a weekly basis’ with representatives of MoveOn.” (Chris Cillizza, “MoveOn Goes Mainstream,” Roll Call, 4/13/05)
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