President appears to avoid input from anti-surgers

Public support for the war is eroding. An ABC/Washington Post poll conducted Sept. 10-12 found that 46 percent of Americans said the war in Afghanistan was worth fighting, compared with 51 percent who said it wasn’t worth the cost. In March, 56 percent said the war was worthwhile. ...Bloomberg News 10/6/09

The question on the table today is whether to send an additional 40,000 troops into Afghanistan.  Americans aren't exactly split on this.  Most Americans want us to get out. But of the Congressional invitees to the White House meeting today only two are mildly against extending the war.  Neither Senator Kerry nor colleague Dick Durbin are what you'd call "protesters." 

John Nichols has noticed how easy the administration is making this -- for the administration.  Take note, Nichols writes, there are plenty of Republican hawks on the guest list.

And, yes, there are some skeptics -- such as Durbin and Kerry.

But where are Senator Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, and Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, who have emerged as outspoken advocates for a rethink of the occupation and, in Feingold's case, a flexible exit strategy? Feingold, a member of the Intelligence Committee who has spent more time than most members in southern Asia, knows the territory well. And he would bring an alternative point of view to what is, after all, being billed as a frank and open discussions of strategy. (White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says: "The president has discussed wanting to hear from all of those that are involved in this, and certainly Congress plays a big role in this.")

Where is Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern's name on the list? McGovern has visited Afghanistan, met with troops and commanders, consulted with international security and development strategists, and come to share their conclusion that an escalation of U.S. forces would be a bad idea. The well-regarded vice chair of the Rules Committee is, as well, the sponsor of legislation demanding the development of an exit strategy. That legislation just attracted its 99th cosponsor in the House, meaning that with McGovern himself it now has 100 signed-on backers -- including a number of conservative Republicans.

McGovern and Congressman Walter Jones, R-North Carolina, recently circulated a letter opposing General Stanley McChrystal's bid to shift 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. More than 50 House Democrats and Republicans signed the letter, which argues that "the last thing that our nation needs as it struggles with the pain of a severe economic crisis and a mountain of debt is another military quagmire. We believe that is why recent polls consistently show that a majority of Americans are opposed to a military escalation in Afghanistan."

For eight years we had a president who closed his ears all.  Now we have a president who, for all the websites and phone numbers, just isn't listening.  Well, that's not entirely true.  Obama may have shown his colors as an old fashioned political hack but he's a political hack who (as Nichols writes) listens closely to Washington voices.

... He is wrong -- very wrong -- to consult only with supporters of the escalation and cautious critics. It reinforces a problem highlighted by ["Rethink Afghanistan"producer Robert] Greenwald. "The echo chambers in Washington have long argued that Afghanistan is the war of necessity," the director explains. "This reasoning excluded any opposing viewpoints and has mired us in what is now perceived as the endless war."

And the beat goes on:

“We’re not leaving Afghanistan,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a CNN interview broadcast today. “There should be no uncertainty in terms of our determination to remain in Afghanistan and to continue to build a relationship of partnership and trust with the Pakistanis.” ...Bloomberg News 10/6/09