Of course, the first person to challenge the president when it comes to the issue of sending more troops to trouble spots is Sen. McCain who battled Mr. Obama for the White House last year: "WE WATCH this continue to deteriorate while this long protracted process of decision making goes on". Notice "We watch". Sen. McCain has long been an advocate of troop surges, first in Iraq and now in Afghanistan. "We are not operating in a vacuum. The president of the United States needs to make this decision (i.e. to send more troops) and soon. OUR ALLIES ARE NERVOUS AND OUR MILITARY LEADERSHIP IS BECOMING FRUSTRATED". Translation: It's time to go after them (i.e. al-Qaeda & the Taliban). Sen. McCain also wants troops to stay in Iraq for the same or a similar purpose, something that the president VEHEMENTLY disagrees with.

The White House responded through Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: "I don't think the American people agree with Senator McCain on that. I think it's important to hear and get this right".

"Already fragile US public opinion on the war is being tested by a rush of recent casualties in Afghanistan, WITH OCTOBER (being) THE BLOODIEST MONTH FOR AMERICAN TROOPS OF THE EIGHT-YEAR CONFLICT SO FAR". And we thought the problem with "the war" was in Iraq? We've been fighting in Afghanistan for 8 years now with no end to this war in sight so AFGHANISTAN (and neighboring Pakistan) IS EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC THAN IRAQ NOW.

So who do "the American people agree with?" "A Wall Street Journal/MSNBC poll this week showed that 47 percent of Americans back increasing troop levels in Afghanistan, compared to last month, when 51 percent opposed the increase. But only 43 percent wanted to send as many as 40000 more troops as (Maj. Gen. Stanley) McChrystal had requested. A Quinnipac University survey last month found 65 percent of people willing to have US troops fight and possibly die in the war to ward off future terrorist attacks emanating (i.e. originating) from the region. But only 38 percent wanted more troops sent to that fight". So this is indeed a complicated situation.

According to Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, "THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE INDIVIDUAL SECURITY of the American people is the most important thing to me". In order to protect "national security", oftentimes, "individual security" must be sacrificed.  It's hard to tell whether Sen. Feingold supports or opposes a troop increase in Afghanistan.

Finally, according to Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipac polling institute, "Obviously increasing numbers of casualties among American soldiers are likely to have SOME EFFECT on those numbers". This "effect" is quite LARGE.