Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By JOHN MULLIGAN
Providence Journal Washington bureau

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jack Reed was enroute Tuesday afternoon to his alma mater, the U.S. Military Academy, to be on hand as President Obama announces his new strategy in Afghanistan.

Reed, a 1971 graduate of West Point who served as an active duty Army officer until 1979, was the only member of Congress slated to fly on Air Force One with Mr. Obama. The Rhode Island Democrat is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who traveled with candidate Obama to Afghanistan and Iraq in the summer of 2008.

That tour helped Mr. Obama to establish credentials as a prospective commander-in-chief that rested heavily on his assertion that the U.S. could not afford to lose the struggle in Afghanistan.

Mr. Obama will speak at 8 p.m. Tuesday to a nation that has since grown less supportive of the war and is divided on his plan to send 30,000 more U.S. troops into the fight.

Many congressional Democrats, moreover, have expressed misgivings about the new strategy.

"This is where the president's speech is so critical. He has a challenge to point out why we are in that region of the world,'' Reed said earlier Tuesday.

Reed and fellow Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse have said they expect to support Mr. Obama's plan.

The other two members of Rhode Island's all-Democratic delegation, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy and Rep. James R. Langevin, expressed skepticism about the plan and said they want to see Mr. Obama's presentation before they sign on.

 Tags  Afghanistan Jack Reed Obama politics West Point

Comments

John said:

This is the same Obama and Reed who claimed to be against war, right? Nothing says 'peace" like 30,000 troops.

Link | December 1, 2009 5:21 PM
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Biagio said:

That's RI's Jack Reed for you. Photo Op Expert with ZERO Combat Leadership!

Although a West Point Grad, Reed never volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was never more than a Company Grade Officer.

He chose to continue his "education" than actually serve at the "pointy end of the spear"!

How can you look in the mirror Jack?

The officers who graduated from the USMA in '07 have more combat experience than this "wanna be".

He is a total joke as a military "expert".

It has taken the President over 93 days to respond to an "urgent" request from the On Scene Commander for 40,000 more troops.

If the President sends anything less, bring all the kids home NOW!!!

Let's see,100K troops to cover an area the size of California?

Yeah, right.

Either send in overwhelming force to end it, or get the hell out!

Remember the Weinberger Doctrine?

Obviously, Reed has forgotten the lessons learned in blood paid for by the kids who died in Vietnam?

Link | December 1, 2009 6:07 PM
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