Casey: Send More Troops to Afghanistan

Texan defends RNC chair's Afghanistan remarks

(NEWSER) - Michael Steele is under fire from politicians and pundits alike for saying the Afghanistan war is unwinnable, but he has at least one Republican on his side: Ron Paul. "Michael Steele has it right and Republicans should stick by him," the Texas congressman said in a statement. He also says Steele shouldn't resign, but few party members are calling for the RNC chairman to step down, notes Fox News . More»

GOP chair needs to make 'appropriate decision' about his future

(NEWSER) - If Michael Steele was hoping his GOP pals on the Sunday airwaves today has his back, let's hope his cable went out. John McCain called Steele's comments about the Afghan war "wildly inaccurate," while Lindsey Graham slammed them as "uninformed, unnecessary, unwise." The Maverick further suggested that Steele take a good look in the mirror and make "an appropriate decision" about whether he can still perform his job, reports the AP. Oy. More»

RNC chair rushes to declare support for troops

(NEWSER) - Having enraged conservatives and delighted Democrats by criticizing the decision to engage in Afghanistan—a policy advanced by President Bush and supported by congressional Republicans—the RNC chairman is scrambling to defuse the controversy, reports the Washington Post . "For the sake of the security of the free world, our country must give our troops the support necessary to win this war," Steele said today. More»

House members debate whether Dems have the votes

(NEWSER) - If you hadn't heard, the House votes on a little thing some like to call health care reform today—and the debate got an early start on the Sunday shows with Democrats signaling they had the votes, and Republicans digging in their heels. David Plouffe and Karl Rove also went mano a mano, reports Politico , with Rove proclaiming the bill a "disaster" that Dems would pay for in November. Plouffe responded by inviting him to pull out his "Mission Accomplished" banner. Elsewhere: More»

Terrorism trumped health care over vacation, and there's more

(NEWSER) - President Obama is back at the White House after an 11-day vacation in Hawaii, and he has his work cut out for him. USA Today runs down the most pressing issues awaiting the president in 2010.

• Terrorism: The attempted bombing of Flight 253 returned security to the top of the list. Some heads may roll after the near-catastrophe.