The Democratic Party has never been known for unity or
message control. But as President Obama and his advisors continue to deliberate
over their next move in Afghanistan, the stark difference between the top
Democrats on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees shows just how far
apart party leaders are on the war.
Ike Skelton, the
Missouri Democrat who heads the House committee, gave directly the opposite
message that is being put forth by his Senate counterpart Carl Levin, D-MI, who is calling for President Obama to only add
trainers and hold off on sending more U.S. combat troops to that theater. In an
interview with The Cable, Skelton
called on the administration to fully resource the troop and equipment request
of Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
"I will support General McChrystal because he's the
commander on the ground like Roosevelt supported Dwight Eisenhower on D-Day,"
Skelton said. "This is very, very serious. American security is at stake. So
whatever General McChrystal thinks he can do, whatever he wants we'll give
him."
Practically, Skelton's tactic is to continue his push for
McChrystal to testify in open session at his first availability. He has an
outstanding request for just that, but the White House has not responded.
"I don't want to bring him back just for this specific
purpose. I want him to stay there and fight the war," Skelton said. "But if
he's coming back here for business, we want him."
Skelton is not the only senior Democrat to come out publicly
in favor of McChrystal's call for increased troop levels. Senate Intelligence
Committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein,
D-CA, said
as much on ABC's This Week Sunday.
"I don't know how you put somebody in who was as crackerjack as General McChrystal, who gives the president very solid recommendations, and not take those recommendations if you're not going to pull out," Feinstein said.
But Skelton was out in front in calling for Obama to support
McChrystal and made his views known in last week's congressional meeting at the
White House on Afghanistan.
He is also not shy about criticizing the strategy put forth
by Levin. When asked directly why the Michigan senator's approach was faulty,
he responded: "And then what would happen, we let the Taliban take over? I
don't think so."
Skelton is also gearing up for a tougher fight than he
usually faces for his seat, which Republicans are
targeting in 2010.
File photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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