Deficit hysteria on the home front

I don't often agree with Tom Friedman, but his analysis today of America's involvement in Afghanistan is the best thinking I've seen in years on the subject. Too bad he muddles the discussion with comments on Iraq, but that's a different subject.

The U.S. military has given its assessment. It said that stabilizing Afghanistan and removing it as a threat requires rebuilding that whole country. Unfortunately, that is a 20-year project at best, and we can’t afford it. So our political leadership needs to insist on a strategy that will get the most security for less money and less presence. We simply don’t have the surplus we had when we started the war on terrorism after 9/11 — and we desperately need nation-building at home.

I was struck over the past few days by our two North Carolina Senators and their never-ending deficit hysteria when it comes to healthcare policy. "Not one dime added to the deficit," says Hagan, repeating Obama's misguided mantra.

With those deficit worries in mind, it's been more than a little ironic to see Hagan and Burr solidly behind spending trillions of dollars on unnecessary wars.