WILL PELOSI FLIP ON AFGHANISTAN? The editors of the Wall Street Journal remind Madame Speaker that she was a singing a different tune on Afghanistan not long ago:
It is well known that Mr. Obama has called Afghanistan a “war of necessity.” Less publicized is that in 2007 Speaker Pelosi was also saying that our real interests were in Afghanistan. “The war on terror is in Afghanistan,” Ms. Pelosi said just two years ago. “The fact that we weakened our commitment to Afghanistan in order to concentrate in Iraq has taken a toll.”
We should find out soon enough whether the Speaker was serious about her commitment to Afghanistan, or just paying lip service to a popular cause. If she was serious, she’ll have to stand up to her closest friends in order to prove it:
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D., Calif.), co-chair of the 82-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, said her group is unified in wanting to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
“The Progressive Caucus is pretty much together on what is going on in Afghanistan, in being against escalating and in favor of bringing the troops home,” Ms. Woolsey said in a recent interview. “We will have to stand up to our own president.”
Once the dust settles after the healthcare fight, Afghanistan will have its moment.