The World Reacts to Obama's Afghanistan Plan

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Last night the world tuned in to watch President Obama formally announce that an additional 30,000 troops will be sent to aid in the U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.

"I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan...I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake."

The President's decision has been highly anticipated following Bob Woodward's article in The Washington Post on September 21, 2009 that exposed the details of a confidential 66-page report in which top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal suggests that if more troops are not sent overseas, U.S. Military efforts "will likely result in failure."


Check out this collection of responses and opinions about President Obama's announcement from past Connecticut Forum panelists:


Matthew Dowd

"Bottom line: Good speech, lots of eloquence, little lasting political effect. Nine months ago nearly two-thirds of the country approved of President Obama's handling of Afghanistan. Today, a majority of the country disapproves. This speech will make little difference in that measure, in the president's overall approval rating or in the public's will to keep fighting this war. " more

Arianna Huffington

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Mo Rocca

(Via Twitter) "Obama to send 30,002 troops to Afghanistan (congrats, Tareq and Michaele Salahi! This time you're invited.)"


Thomas Friedman

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Richard Holbrooke

“I feel very strongly that Afghanistan is the ultimate test of Nato and the western alliance.” Arguing that the consequences of failure would be far worse than those suffered by the US following its withdrawal from Vietnam. more

Andrew Sullivan

"I think this strategy is doomed. But then I think any strategy that does not pledge to colonize Afghanistan, pour trillions of dollars into it and stay for a century is doomed. So why do I end up this morning feeling rather similar to my colleague, Jim Fallows, who simply sighs: 'Well, I hope he's right"?" more

Newt Gingrich




Michael Moore

"President Obama, it's time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, "No, we don't need health care, we don't need jobs, we don't need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, 'cause we don't need them, either." more

Elizabeth Edwards' Gives Lessons in 'Resilience' - Both in her New Memoir and at The Forum

Elizabeth Edwards will appear this afternoon in an anticipated interview with Oprah to promote her new book, Resilience, which discusses her battle with cancer, her husband's Presidential run and his well-known infidelity, and her children and family. Later in the week she will appear on other media outlets including Larry King Live and The View.

In September, Edwards was in Hartford as a part of a Forum on The Presidency, along with Matthew Dowd and Joseph Ellis, and she discussed what it was like to campaign with her husband.

The crowd later broke out in applause when she talked about her inspiring outlook on her cancer.




During the YOUTH Forum press conference Alexandra Gruber, 15, of Hall High School in West Hartford, asked Mrs. Edwards what it was like having "the whole world finding out your whole business. How do you deal with the world knowing about... cancer, those kinds of things?"

Edwards replied: "I don't have a corner on all those things. I see people all the time who do it. Actually, my being public about those things has allowed me to get an enormous amount of support. A lot of people who have all the same things I have, most of them without the kind of health insurance, for example, that I have, they don't have people calling them "inspiring". They don't have a spotlight on them, they don't have a camera on them, and so I get a lot of support. So as much as something is taken out of you, it's also given back to you in a real way."

Matthew Dowd on bullsh*tting former President Bush

When Matthew Dowd was at The Forum back in September, he filled us in on what it was like to work on the re-election campaign for George W. Bush in 2004. Even if his Dubya impression wasn't pitch perfect, his behind-the-scenes insight was fascinating.



You can watch more of the recently posted videos from The Presidency at The Forum's YouTube page.

Panelists Reflect Back Stage

By Katlyn Knox, Executive Associate at The Connecticut Forum

After The Presidency ended on stage, things got
very busy back stage!

Check out these post-Forum reactions from some of our panelists!

Elizabeth Edwards describes her experience at The Connecticut Forum:







Matthew Dowd:




Stay tuned! More to come!

Live! It's The Presidency!

By Katlyn Knox, Executive Associate at The Connecticut Forum


Hello Forum Fans!

Tonight marks the kickoff of our exciting 2008-2009 Season with our first Forum, The Presidency. This evening our elite panel of historians and insiders will take a look at the nations highest office..where its been, and where its going.

The panel includes:

Elizabeth Edwards, Political Insider and Inspirational Woman

Matthew Dowd, Chief Strategist of the 2004 Bush-Cheney Campaign

Joseph Ellis, Pulitzer-Prize Winning Historian and Author of Founding Brothers

Michel Martin, Host of NPR's Tell Me More will Moderate


I am here to provide you with an exclusive behind the scenes look at tonight's Forum...let's get started!


The panelists have arrived and are settling into The Connecticut Culinary Institute, where the pre-Forum cocktail and dinner are held.

First Stop? The panelist meeting room. Here the panel meets and greets each other before the evening begins, and take a few moments to sign some autographs. Take a look!

Then it is off to the press confrence where members of the media, as well as our very own YOUTH Forum members have a chance to intimately ask the panelists a few questions.

Check back here in a few minutes for clips from the press confrence, and the dish on dinner!