While President Obama seems to think an escalation in Afghanistan is the right move, some California Democrats running for Congress don’t agree. In CA-44, Bill Hedrick (who came surprisingly close to beating Ken Calvert in 2008) has been speaking out against the escalation, and sent this statement out via email:

While President Obama is setting clear benchmarks and urging other nations to participate in Afghanistan, I continue to oppose the decision to send troops.  It places more American lives at risk for the corrupt Karzai government.  Any escalation will cost tens of billions of dollars that would be better spent on creating and keeping jobs in America.

Meanwhile Marcy Winograd, who is again challenging Jane Harman from the left in CA-36, explains her opposition over at Daily Kos:

I voted for Barack Obama. In fact, I volunteered for his campaign.  

But I am not afraid to speak out when the President makes a mistake.

It is wrong to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan….

Like my good friend, Afghanistan veteran Rick Reyes, says, “There is no military solution in Afghanistan.”

When we escalate an indefinite occupation of Afghanistan… when we send unmanned bombers into nuclear-armed Pakistan… when we construct cement fortresses in Iraq… we only engender hatred, create new enemies, and propel a dangerous narrative that we are at war with the entire Muslim world.

We are better than that.

Winograd led the successful effort to get the California Democratic Party to approve a resolution calling for an end to the military occupation in Afghanistan and for more civilian charitable work to address the problems in that country.

It’s just two candidates, but they reflect the growing consensus among California Democrats that the current strategy in Afghanistan, which Obama has now doubled down on, is neither good policy nor good politics.

UPDATE by Robert: Newly elected member of Congress John Garamendi also disagrees with the escalation:

I thank President Obama for his careful and thoughtful deliberation on this matter. He faces a difficult decision on a war he inherited, and I know his heart is in the right place. However, I remain convinced that increased diplomatic, economic, social, and educational assistance in the region will result in a lasting solution in Afghanistan. American national security, our dedicated soldiers already serving, and the people of Afghanistan will be better served if we focus our efforts on improving the socioeconomic conditions of the region instead of sending more of our brave soldiers to fight in this war.

I won’t post all the statements that come out on this, but it is interesting to see this opposition coming together in California. On MSNBC just now Maxine Waters said she wasn’t convinced by the speech and will vote against funding more troops, a position she said Barbara Lee shares.