President Barack Obama met with lawmakers from both parties and both houses of Congress this afternoon to discuss Afghanistan war strategy. Though Democrats tried after the meeting to claim bipartisan support for the President, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) suggested Republicans would only support Obama if he agreed to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s request for more troops.
Appearing on CNN after the meeting, Cantor said:
We were here to express our support to the President — his committing to the mission upfront –and expressed our support to work with him if he makes the right decision, which is to listen to his commanders in the field who are asking desperately for more troops.
“Republicans are committed to supporting this President,” Cantor continued, “if he says ‘Yes, I will support our commanders on the ground.”
And if he doesn’t?
“If the President chooses a different route, it is obviously going to be tough for us.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) appeared with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) after the meeting and tried to paint a more conciliatory picture.
“The meeting was good, it was thorough,” Reid said. “Everyone participated.”
And, Reid said, the meeting ended with the President saying that “if anybody has anything they didn’t bring up here, call. I’ll take the call personally.”
Pelosi said lawmakers discussed security, governance, reconstruction, diplomacy and the commitment of NATO allies. Among the questions asked, she said, are “Do we have an able partner in President Karzai?” and “Is the government capable of acting in a way that is not fraught with corruption?”
There was, however, a disconnect on the level of bipartisan support the President has on Afghanistan strategy. Reid said that “everyone, Democrats and Republicans, said whatever decision you make, we’ll support it.” Well, not according to Cantor.
