Political Quotes

“Mr. President, with 100,000 troops fighting on the front lines of our battle against terrorists in Afghanistan, the stakes could not be higher. That's why I was pleased that President Obama chose a proven leader for our forces in Afghanistan in GEN David Petraeus. General Petraeus is the right choice to lead this mission in Afghanistan. He has demonstrated that he can effectively carry out a counterinsurgency strategy and prepare local forces to take over the U.S. combat mission. The resounding bipartisan support that General Petraeus received in the Armed Services Committee and on the Senate floor sends the right message to our forces on the ground in Afghanistan, our allies who share our mission of defeating terrorism and the enemies who seek to harm us. It says that we are committed to success in Afghanistan and we will continue to take the fight to the Taliban. And it also says that we will continue to work to transfer responsibility to Afghan forces--with the recognition that our commitment in Afghanistan is not open-ended. As our Commander in Chief, President Obama must have a military and civilian team that has his full confidence, and with General Petraeus' confirmation, he now has that team in place. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan is recognized.”