McCain Backs Up McChrystal

Sen. John McCain is back in the news today, appearing on State of the Union to claim that the reported deployment request for 10,000 to 20,000 military personnel to be sent to Afghanistan is “an error of historic proportions.” The former presidential hopeful said he does not believe the war could be won with fewer than 40,000 troops. As Obama and his top advisers continue to review the status of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal is pushing for a counterinsurgency strategy similar to the “surge” in Iraq, which McCain supports. McCain also spoke of former running mate Sarah Palin and her hopes for a 2012 run: "I have great affection for her… Did we always agree on everything in the past? Will we in the future? No." His statement comes on the heels of last week’s sniping by McCain’s former top strategist, Steve Schmidt, who said Palin’s nomination would have a “catastrophic election result.”