Freshman Republicans want even longer Afghan war

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http://www.salon.com/news/afghanistan/?story=/politics/war_room/2011/01/17/freshman_republicans_afghanistan

Monday, Jan 17, 2011 13:50 ET

Last week anti-tax leader Grover Norquist pleaded with conservatives to have, at least, a conversation about Afghanistan and the goals and costs of the 10-year war. (One estimate puts the price tag at $120 billion per year.)

But it appears the Republican Party is simply not there with Norquist.

The latest evidence comes as four freshman Republican senators, including among the most "fiscally conservative" members of the Senate, have concluded a trip to the region. They are now promptly calling for the expensive war to be extended indefinitely.

This is despite the fact that the Obama Administration's oft-repeated target dates for beginning of withdrawal (July 2011) and full transition to Afghan control (2014) are not hard deadlines at all.

John McCormack at the Weekly Standard has been gathering reaction from the senators, Marco Rubio of Florida, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Ron Jonson of Wisconsin, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. All four came back with basically the same message: progress is being made in the war and there should not be even a timeline for withdrawal.