Already frustrated with President Obama on a variety of fronts, many Democrats in Congress could barely contain their contempt last night for new troop withdrawal plans in Afghanistan, arguing now is the time for a total pullout of U.S. military assets.
"We need to do much, much more," said Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. "The American people are sick and tired of war."
As I wrote my stories about the President's nationwide address last night, the frustrated statements kept rolling in by email and Twitter, showcasing how aggravated more liberal Democrats remain about the Obama Administration's foreign policy choices.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon said the new Obama troop withdrawal didn't go far enough, as the Congressman called on the President to "bring home all combat troops by the end of 2012."
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois - the number two Democrat in the Senate - said there needed to be "swift and substantial withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan."
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi also expressed a clear desire for deeper reductions in troop strength:
"It has been the hope of many in Congress and across the country that the full drawdown of U.S. forces would happen sooner than the President laid out – and we will continue to press for a better outcome," she said in a statement.
Pelosi's top lieutenant, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, offered another lukewarm statement of support as well.
"Our role in Afghanistan should be under continuing review as Afghans take responsibility for security," said Hoyer.
And so, while many Republicans condemned the move, or questioned whether it would work, the main message from Democrats was, pull the troops out now - not in a few years.
""I believe we must begin a much more aggressive drawdown of combat troops," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
"Tonight’s announcement is a profound disappointment," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), who said the Obama choice "is to largely stay the course" in Afghanistan.
"I believe we need a more accelerated withdrawal than his plan calls for," said Rep. John Carney of Delaware.
And so it went last evening, statement after statement from Democrats, a reminder that almost all of them were bitterly opposed to the idea of adding in more troops in late 2009.
Now they want a faster withdrawal.
"The lack of a change in strategy is disappointing," said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).
The lack of support comes at a time when the Obama Administration is trying to prevent an embarrassing rebuke in the Congress over its policy on Libya, as Republicans press for a vote to cut off funding for NATO military strikes.
"Whose side are you on?" was how Secretary of State Hillary Clinton framed the Libya issue for lawmakers.
But right now, Democrats are not pleased with Obama, as they fear he will soon sell them out on the budget by endorsing deep spending cuts.
In that light, it shouldn't be a surprise that the President's speech on Afghanistan garnered so little overt public support.
"The President is making good on his commitments" said Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), who was one of the few Democrats to specifically offer his support.
"He announced a responsible policy for Afghanistan, and I support him."
Johnson though was on an island with few other Democrats, in support of the new Obama policy on Afghanistan.
