John Salazar, Betsy Markey and Max Baucus went to Afghanistan last week according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan.
I guess President O needed someone from Congress to go over and smooth things over with President Karzai and Salazar stood up and said "Hey I'm not doing anything!" and off he went.
Quotes from Salazar and Markey on the trip...
"I have the highest regard for General McChrystal and I take him at his word that he trusts and has a good working relationship with President Karzai, and President Karzai is committed to doing what's best for Afghanistan and doing all that we can to defeat Al-Qaeda," ---Markey
I am sure that President Karzai really appreciates knowing that a Congressmen from middle America "approves" him. That probably made him change his position about quitting and becoming a member of the Taliban. Did you take him at his word last week too?
"One of the things that General McChrystal himself told us, he felt that the media had actually taken President Karzai's statements kind of out of context, so that was General McChrystal's comment to us," Salazar said.
My first thought is the media takes things out of context ...naaa! Second thought is that is; how would John know what the media takes out of context he hasn't talked to anybody in 3 years.
"I know that the day before we met with President Karzai, General McChrystal had had lunch with him," Markey said. "I know that they're working out any of the issues that we have and the general is optimistic and positive about their working relationship, understands President Karzai as a person."
Salazar said: "He is totally committed, in my opinion, to actually working with America to reduce the number of Taliban or eliminate the Taliban."
This to me sounds like a quote form someone who has no idea what the hell is going on in Afghanistan. I guess his "total commitment" is to join the Taliban and destroy it form the inside huh?
In the whole scope of things this was a PR vacation for Markey and Salazar. Karzai humored them, McChrystal tolerated them, and their constituents got ignored once again. Leave the diplomatic meetings up to the professionals. Maybe it was a down payment for their health care bill vote. Maybe they can get a cushy State Department job after they are voted out in November, with all that "foreign relations" service.
I guess President O needed someone from Congress to go over and smooth things over with President Karzai and Salazar stood up and said "Hey I'm not doing anything!" and off he went.
Quotes from Salazar and Markey on the trip...
"I have the highest regard for General McChrystal and I take him at his word that he trusts and has a good working relationship with President Karzai, and President Karzai is committed to doing what's best for Afghanistan and doing all that we can to defeat Al-Qaeda," ---Markey
I am sure that President Karzai really appreciates knowing that a Congressmen from middle America "approves" him. That probably made him change his position about quitting and becoming a member of the Taliban. Did you take him at his word last week too?
"One of the things that General McChrystal himself told us, he felt that the media had actually taken President Karzai's statements kind of out of context, so that was General McChrystal's comment to us," Salazar said.
My first thought is the media takes things out of context ...naaa! Second thought is that is; how would John know what the media takes out of context he hasn't talked to anybody in 3 years.
"I know that the day before we met with President Karzai, General McChrystal had had lunch with him," Markey said. "I know that they're working out any of the issues that we have and the general is optimistic and positive about their working relationship, understands President Karzai as a person."
Salazar said: "He is totally committed, in my opinion, to actually working with America to reduce the number of Taliban or eliminate the Taliban."
This to me sounds like a quote form someone who has no idea what the hell is going on in Afghanistan. I guess his "total commitment" is to join the Taliban and destroy it form the inside huh?
In the whole scope of things this was a PR vacation for Markey and Salazar. Karzai humored them, McChrystal tolerated them, and their constituents got ignored once again. Leave the diplomatic meetings up to the professionals. Maybe it was a down payment for their health care bill vote. Maybe they can get a cushy State Department job after they are voted out in November, with all that "foreign relations" service.
Salazar and Markey probably thought Afghanistan was safer. No doubt it was friendlier.
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