Specter, Sestak Duel Over Troop Surge
Politico.com
Forget about style points. There’s now a substantive policy difference over Afghanistan between Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Rep. Joe Sestak in the Pennsylvania Senate primary – a contest where foreign policy could now play a central role.
Specter, a former Republican who has received significant support from President Obama since switching parties, was one of the first Democrats to come out against the administration’s proposal to increase the American troop level in Afghanistan.
“I oppose sending 30,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan because I am not persuaded that it is indispensable in our fight against Al Qaeda… if Al Qaeda can operate out of Yemen or Somalia, why fight in Afghanistan where no one has succeeded?” Specter said in a statement.
