Kendrick Meek: “The point I'm trying to make here is that we even have numbers for Afghanistan and what is happening there, and we just…”

“The point I'm trying to make here is that we even have numbers for Afghanistan and what is happening there, and we just had an Armed Services meeting a little earlier today, and there is discussion. One of the witnesses, a lieutenant general, said, ``Well, the Afghans are saying what, Americans, will you leave us?'' Well, this is a big question when we talk about spending, we talk about the economy. Let me draw this picture here. You go to dinner with your friends and there's six of you, and the bill comes out to like, I don't know, 4- or $500. You have been there for a couple of hours, of course ordering several appetizers and ice tea and an entree, and it comes up to $600. Do you spend the time of divvying up the bill and collecting the money, or do you always have to get up and say, ``I have it. I'll take care of it?'' You know what I'm talking about? That's what America has been saying to every conflict we have ever had. Afghanistan, for what needs to happen there, do we always have to be the people there who say, ``I got it?''”