Question 5

Afghanistan...

Obama - situation is getting worse. More deaths now than at any time since 2001. Four times as many troops in Iraq as in Afghanistan and that is a (pause) strategic mistake. Says he will send 2 (or maybe 4) brigades to Afghanistan. Have to deal with Pakistan. Giving them foreign aid but they won't clear the safe havens.

McCain - I won't repeat the mistake of the post-Soviet resistance in Afghanistan, where we left once we thought the job was done. Takes Obama to school on the issue of announcing strikes into Pakistani territory. I have been to Waziristan... need new strategy, need to obtain allegiance of Pakistanis, or at least their cooperation... bombing of Marriott hotel was a signal from terrorists not to cooperate with the West. Not just addition of troops will matter, strategy will matter, I will not publicly state we will attack them.

Obama - Here's what I said "If the US has Osama in our sights and Pakistain is unwilling to do the job, we should take him out". Cheap shots at McCain (Bomb Iran and North Korea). We coddled Musharraf, we were anti-democratic, we lost legitimacy in Pakistan, and they weren't going after Al Qaeda.

McCain - There was a failed state in Pakistan (sorry, little boy, you weren't around when Musharraf became president and Pak was a failed state). Story of him opposing Reagan on the placement of Marines in Lebanon. I supported first Gulf War, Bosnia (even though many of my colleagues did not), Kosovo, Somalia (opposed the change in mission from peace keeping to peace making). Anecdote about town hall in New Hampshire where the mother of a fallen soldier asked him to wear a bracelet in honor of her son. "Make sure the mission succeeds". We don't want defeat. I know what it's like to be part of a military to be the losing side.

Obama - "I've got a bracelet too" - might be the sound bite of the night. Obama's bracelet is from a mother who doesn't want any other mothers to lose children in war. "They are still sending out videotapes" - sound bite of the night contender - I'm ascared of those videotapes!

McCain - "You might think with that kind of concern Senator Obama might have gone to Afghanistan" - ouch! Good one, McC! Obama doesn't get the connection between Iraq and Afghanistan.