| At the Democratic National Convention in Denver last summer, then-Sen. Barack Obama pledged to "finish the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan."
Lately Obama has toned down his rhetoric when it comes to succeeding in Afghanistan. "I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur," the president told ABC in July.
Apparently the "the audacity of hope" approach does not apply to the U.S. military fighting against al-Qaida and the Taliban.
 I can only imagine the jeers that would have followed if Bush Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had suggested that dissident generals should give their "best advice to the president candidly but privately." Yet when Obama Defense Secretary Robert Gates said those words in response to reports that Gen. Stanley McChrystal believes NATO needs as many as 40,000 additional U.S. troops to turn the tide in Afghanistan, Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed. Forget all that posturing about the need for generals to give their best assessment. In 2009, Pelosi is more focused on the "line of command."
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans -- yes, including me -- want the brass to go public with their wish lists.
McChrystal has bigger issues before him. He believes that if Washington fails to provide more troops, then Afghanistan will crumble into "Chaos-istan." The Taliban wins, al-Qaida wins and Americans win their eternal disdain.
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