ambassador to afghanistan, eikenberry says more troops would make afghanistan more reliant on the u.s. this disagreement surprises some. >> having two generals on the ground, general eikenberry as ambassador and mcchrystal as commander on the ground feuding with each other in public like this is nearly unprecedented. we talk about a team of rivals. >> administration official says eikenberry told president obama his concerns right before yesterday's eighth war council meeting. >> so the president's decision about troop levels has a lot to do also with the afghan government. and they are things to be concerned about the leadership there. >> without their cooperation, no amounts of additional troops can help obviously. president obama has publicly suggested that hamid karzai do more to crack down on corruption and the huge illegal drug trade that funds terrorist activity. officials say he's skeptical that karzai will follow through on promises. if he does not, "the new york times" reports the white house is considering shifting money from the national government to local afghan leaders w

guest: certainly afghanistan. my day job also involves blogging for the atlantic council, a foreign-policy think tank. my site is reactive, almost like running a newspaper. i do not tend to have an editorial plan because i do not know what will be out there. host: coming up, we will talk about some of the senate debate on health care. first we want to give you a look at today's political stories through the eyes of political cartoonists. >> on this but the yeas are -- the motion is agreed to. >> with that but, the senate moves its health-care bill to the floor starting on monday. all the entire debate. live on our companion network, c-span2. >> regulating the internet, one of the topics monday with meredith baker, the newest republican commissioner at the fcc. "washington journal" continues. host: for the next half hour we will take open phones. part of our goal this morning is to also take a look at the senate health debate, this time looking at the politics of some of the major players. to see how the debate her

host: in afghanistan. guest: they are helping in afghanistan. they are the fifth or sixth largest contributor to the reconstruction. they have invested somewhere in the region of about $1.3 billion in helping the afghans did rebuild itself. there is very close coordination between the u.s. and india. host: i want to give our audience some geo-political perspective because obviously india borders china and afghanistan. -- china and pakistan. it is very close to afghanistan. guest: yes, it predates the afghan nation as an independent country. they're very close. that will not change. host: we appreciate your time. guest: thank you. host: the president has reportedly reached a decision on afghanistan. we will get to your phone calls and your reaction. we could hear a speech by the president next tuesday evening that would be followed by the president's national security team testifying on capitol hill next wednesday and thursday. "washington journal" continues in just a moment. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyr

i felt it was going to be a troop increase in afghanistan. more importantly that we were going to have some kind of open-ended commitment to afghanistan that would never resolve the issue of the civil war there. that's one of the reasons i resigned. i'm very pleased to see that. there is a debate going on that we are not going to continue this march of folly into more and more years of conflict in afghanistan. host: what was your thought process and what was the reaction inside the state department? guest: sure. i went there with some doubts and reservations, but this is what i've been doing as my career. it's what i expected my career to be. i had not been to afghanistan, so i needed to experience and see it myself. it was a continual process for the five months i was there in both the east and the south of seeing different examples of why it didn't pake sense for us to be there, why our presence in afghanistan was not doing anything to make the united states safer, and that our troops are fighting people who were not fighting us for any ide

host: afghanistan has oil? caller: no, in america. host: you think we should have oil here and use the reserves to pay for war efforts? caller: that is right. host: thank you. chris on the republican line, good morning. caller: good morning. yes, i think we need to do it. some people do not understand the concept of necessary work her. -- necessary orwarfare. if you have a little girl and you know somebody will break in and torture that little girl in front of you, would you take that gun and shoot them and kill them. there was a yes. now you understand the concept. just multiplied by 1 million. host: you see the threat as the imminent from al-qaeda, and afghanistan is the base for it? caller: for any war that is necessary, and i believe that it is, it has to be brought home for people. they have to see it personally. other people somewhere in the world that are being killed or tortured better in the set like them and their families -- it does not mean anything to them until they picture id other old home with their own families. host

we want to begin with news about afghanistan. sir, let me begin with the front page in their headlined -- the u.s. is seeking 10,000 troops from its allies. let me ask you what it is like on the ground there as the discussion here domestically continues as to whether president obama send more troops and whether our allies will contribute more. is that something discussed on the ground there? guest: probably among soldiers, but among afghans it is probably a much smaller group who pay attention to the smaller, finer points of american policy. soldiers have a sense depending on the area they are patrolling, whether or not they have enough people working with them. that is something that is talked about. really, in their day-to-day life in afghanistan a lot of people are not so involved in the particulars of this decision. host: there is also news about the karzai government and its efforts moving forward. have you seen any change on the ground there groundkarzai last week put forth his principles for this administration going forwa

troops have been killed in a roadside bomb attack in afghanistan. nato officials say it happened in the southern province of zabul. we'll bring you more details as we get them. >>> now, this hour, we get another important measure of how the economy is doing. jen westhoven is here with more on that. what are you looking for here? thanks, richard. in about 25 minutes we'll get the most up-to-the-minute report on the job market. if you're job hunting, you'll want to listen. these numbers are coming just as we find out that about a million americans are in danger of losing their unemployment benefits in january unless congress makes a fast move. you remember the new law passed two weeks ago. it was supposed to mean 14 to 20 more weeks of benefits for everyone in trouble. but, big mistake here, it seems to be part of a bigger law that expires on december 31st, meaning it doesn't count because the original bill ends on new career's eve. the timing would be awful. a nonprofit group says about a million people basically on their own, no job, no assistance i

. >>> increased fighting in afghanistan is hurting morale among u.s. soldiers there. in contrast, two battlefield survey, morale is up in soldiers in iraq because combat there is decreasing. the surveys indicate suicide have jumped across the board. the army is working to get more mental health workers to help soldiers cope with more depression. this report comes as president obama considers sending more troops to afghanistan. >>> strong reactions out there about the decision to bring a 9/11-related trial to new york. eric holder said yesterday five suspects with the alleged ties to the attacks will be tried in a civilian court in manhattan. the courthouse just blocks away from ground zero. they include khalid shaikh mohammed and four other guantanamo bay detainees. >> i care about the fact these people are war criminals, they're terrorists. they do not deserve a full p panoply of the u.s. law. now they're going to be given a forum to make america seem bad again. criticize and mock america. it's extremely unseemly. >> it may turn out to be an opportunity for some peop

, afghanistan. it this salute goes out to my son. son, your family and friends miss you ton. i know they miss your money. we're proud of your sacrifice for the country. the pride we have for you timbers the sadness of your absence. everything squared away at home. i want to tell you, i think the georgia bulldogs are going to win it for you this year. love you, buddy. >> she got a lot of thoughts in there, didn't she? everything squared away at home. his faith football team. if you have somebody in the service you want to salute, cnn.com/robin. >>> some commutes may be hours longer. san francisco's bay bridge is still closed. there's a live look this morning. "the san francisco chronicle" reports that some drivers face round-trip commutes of eight hours or more. crews are still working on repairs and safety tests. the bay bridge closed tuesday after 5,000 pounds of metal crashed into rush hour traffic. we don't know when it's going to reopen. >>> jury selection begins today for a man accused of killi

they talk about a last-minute meaning of afghanistan. "president obama conveyed a last-minute -- convened a last- minute meeting for strategy in afghanistan. it included cabinet officials, including the defense secretary and robert gates. no one has been given a background briefing, suggesting that the meeting was akin to a pregame rally meeting, attempting to get everyone on the same page before his tuesday speech." we will look to see what happens next with that. back to the phones, pete is calling from michigan on the republican line. caller: i would like to make three points. i worked in health insurance industry for 17 years. my wife was in the health-care industry. for some reason the politicians in the press stopped differentiating between health insurance and health care. the bullet on c-span is that they are talking about health care, but they are talking about health insurance. the high cost of health insurance is directly related to the high cost of health care. it is confusing enough for laypeople. i listen to these confused

the army says that the accused shooter had received orders to go to afghanistan. the commanders say that major nidal hasan was shot mult imtimes and is in stable condition. his family says he told them he wanted out of the military since 2001 because he was taunted for being a muslim. a convenience store near ft. hood says that this is dr. hasan in the surveillance tape. hasan treated fellow soldiers for post-traumatic stress. one with of his patients says he was one with of the best psychiatrists that he ever dealt with, but a doctor who worked with hasan at the walter reed medical center said that hasan required counseling and supervision during his internship because he had problems interacting with people, patients. >>> the soap opera surrounding the divorce of the l.a. dodgers owners takes another turn. hi, rafer. >> it is too bad that the late great aaroni spelling is no longer with this. he could do so much with this. my apologies to the mccourt family. i know you're going through a tough time, but it is interesting. after frank fired wife jamie as team ceo

police in afghanistan tried shouting at him to stop. they say that several children were hurt in the blast. it happened near the country's border with iran. violence has been soaring there as the taliban expands its turf. >>> new movie friday here. today the second installment of the "twilight" series. the teen vampire saga. this time around, bella is tangling with more than just the undead. >> don't! >> too late now. >> bella, get back. >> get back now. >> critics really don't love this one. they say the movie lacks spark and even the special effects right so great. doesn't matter to the fans. look at the crowds of people waiting for the premiere in new york's eeshast village last nig. >> i'm getting schooled by my producer. this is a tv show? no. it was books. like harry potter? yes. this is the first movie? no this is the second one. okay. i must be 90 years old at this point. i have no idea. i miss out on everything. >> apparently the vampires are sexy and hot in this series, clearly. >> fair enough. and dog, too. it looked interest

japan's role in the rebuilding of afghanistan is also expected to be high on the agenda. on the way there the president stopped at a u.s. air force base in alaska and told the troops he would carefully weigh sending more forces to afghanistan. >> i will never hesitate to use force to protect the american people. i also make you this promise. i will not risk your lives unless it is necessary to america's vital interest. >>> president obama will visit singapore, china and south krear during the week-long trip. >>> an ohio mom is accused of taking her kids shoplifting. surveillance tape shows the woman and her children stealing clothing. when a security guard confronts them a fight breaks out. two more got out of a vehicle to join. the adults were arrested. the 8-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl are now in productive custody. >>> we have another clip from sarah palin's interview with oprah. she talks everything from the presidential campaign to her relationship with lev johnson. he got candid about her interview with katie couric. remember a lot of people thought it really

he writes, "money for nothing if we put into afghanistan." the powerful chairman of the house appropriations committee has a stark message about afghanistan for president obama. sending more troops could be a mistake that could "wipe out every tradition we have for rebuilding the economy." the chairman for the appropriations committee told this to abc news during an exclusive interview. long island, you do not read a newspaper. caller: sometimes i read the paper, but i should read it a bit more. most of my news comes from infowars.com and others. they gather the information for me and i look at it and make sure i clarify what they have said. it is truthful and it is really amazing what is going on. people gather information to this one central site. i suggest you go to it. host: st. louis, joe, you do read a paper every day. but what is it? >> i also read the -- are really caller: i read in the wall street journal and others. i also get a lot of information from you guys. host: here is an article from the "wall street journal" front page this

he should ask them for more troops in afghanistan. the australian prime minister will visit the white house as president obama begins a week in which he will announce his war strategy in afghanistan and will appeal to allies for more help. the administration officials said much of the discussion will focus on whether australia would contribute more troops. they indicated then rudd will be the first of several allied leaders obama intends to meet with in the coming weeks. the president will make that announcement on tuesday at the military academy at west point. we will have coverage here on c- span. connecticut, mark on our line for independents. turn down your radio or television. host: good morning. i would like to talk about unemployment. i want to tell america good morning. last year on thanksgiving i called to talk about unemployment. all i want to say is the president and government need to create a universal work force. every american can get job through that. people need to call and say we want along for universal work. -- we

he deployed to afghanistan and his wife three sons and daughter are waiting. his wife says the kids are having a hard time staying strong but miss their daddy. do you want us to salute somebody you love in the military. go to cnn.com/robin and watch for the salutes every morning on morning express with me, robin meade. >>> the parents of a 15-year-old california girl who was allegedly gang raped are urging people to do something positive. yesterday their pastor read their statement during an event at the high school where the alleged attack happened. police say as many as ten people were involved in the rape which supposedly happened during a homecoming dance. five people were arrested but authorities say a sixth person won't be charged because there is insufficient evidence. >>> three statesmen who oversaw the fall of the berlin wall were in germany's capital. former president george h.w. bush mikhail gorbachev and former german chancellor helmet kohl were honored. bush says the wall's collapse had more to do with the determination of everyday people than the

hood has lost 545 from its formations in iraq and afghanistan. but never did we expect to pay such a high price at home. a place where soldiers feel secure. even so, soldiers do what soldiers do best. they take care of each other in time of need. >> there are also new developments in the investigation into the shootings. correspondent richard lui joins us with more on that. >> they showed up at the texas mosque where the leader worshipped. this is a week later after the incident. they wouldn't say what they were looking for, to answer your question but they searched through a trash bin outside the center in killeen. the president had to leave to sign what and to be a search warrant. leaders of the mosque have condemned this attack. >>> the fbi said major hasan was acting alone and his attendance at that mosque is a part of their reasoning for thinking that. >> terrorism experts say jihadists usually try to blend in so they don't attract attention. hasan often wore traditional muslim clothing like you see in this video and attended prayers daily.

it's a soldier coming home from afghanistan. but watch as this dog recognizes him! >> jim! who is it! >> gracie! oh, my god! >> see, she is crying! >> gracie. >> i told you. >> people have clicked on this thing nearly 800,000 times. we found today's viral video for you on livelink.com. >> oh, you're going to make me cry! >> i love seeing this video. that's one happy gracie. >>> a new survey shows just how much teenagers may be picking up the cell phone while they're driving, and the numbers will not make you happy. ♪ ♪ >> an atlanta woman went to work and found the note on the door. her job of 12 years, and is her company, were kaput. she was shocked to learn that the nation's largest publisher of gay and lesbian newspapers shut down yesterday. it had papers in atlanta, houston, washington, d.c. and florida. no comment from the parent companies, which filed for bankruptcy. >>> we're getting some startling news about distracted teenagers. what they're doing while they're driving. well, a new survey by q research center says one in three kids between the ages of 16 and 17

there are 21 pictures showing americans abusing detainees in iraq and afghanistan. the aclu sued to have them released and lower courts supported that but gates cities release would put u.s. citizens and service members in danger. >>> construction of the aircraft carrier "gerald r. ford" got its kickoff with a kiel laying ceremony. it's the first in the new ford class of carriers. ford's daughter susan was at the ceremony and declared the kiel truly and fairly laid t. carrier is scheduled for delivery to the navy in 2015. >>> senators may start debating a new health care bill this week. but down the street from capitol hill you can see how the issue is really affecting people. eline quijano talked to a worker taking a chance with her health and a boss trying to help her. >> you're thinking about 8 by 10. >> reporter: 58-year-old carrie never imagined struggling like this. >> working all the time, not making a lot of money, and don't have health insurance. >> reporter: for 39 years she worked and paid into an employer sponsored health insurance plan. but the economic

commander in afghanistan wants up to 40,000 more. the white house says a decision could come within with a few weeks. >>> a trick-or-treater may have something way more valuable than candy in their halloween basket. an ohio woman thinks her diamond anniversary ring slipped off her finger saturday night while she was handing out the candy. >> i had it enlarged and then when with it got cold, your fingers get smaller. i noticed it's was spinning around more than it had been before, but i didn't realize it was so loose it would just slip off. so as i was throwing candy -- my suspicion is -- in pillowcases and buckets, i inadd vert ently threw my ring, too. the woman is hoping to get her ring back. ♪ it's your birthday >>> happy birthday. if you're celebrating your birthday today, you share it with ivan drago himself. he has a master's degree from chemical engineering from the university of sydney. did you know that? >> remember that? >> i think i do. >> i must break you. >> he was pretty hot. that was a pretty good impressive. >> if h

will i'm sending a salute to my husband out in afghanistan. he's serving with the 10th mountain the division. i'm so proud of you, babe, and you're extremely missed. i love you, and i'm so excited to see you on r & r. you are my sowell matul mate, b friend. me and the kids love you and miss so much. >> if you have somebody in the service, we'd like to help you sa light them, cnn.com/robin. >>> welcome back. i'm jennifer westhoven. if you want to move, listen to this. the senate has tucked a little gift for home buyers into that bill to extend unemployment benefits. more people could qualify for money to buy a home. we're not just talking about first-time home buyers anymore. if you've been in a home more than five years, you would get 6,500 e$6,500 to buy another on move. the original $8,000 kritd credi extended. you have to close by june. the economists say the tax credit has helped the housing market for now. they raised the income cap so you could qualify if you're a couple making up to $225,000 a year. >>> say you want a smart phone. if yo

aaron thomas nemelka, scheduled to go to afghanistan, and his uncle read a statement yesterday. >> aaron was intensely proud to serve under the leadership of the president. aaron believed we are all first and foremost americans. not democrats, not republicans, not white, black, brown or any other color. aaron felt keenly the responsibility of representing both his country and his family. he is proud to follow in the footsteps of both his grandfather that is served, two uncles that are in the military currently and one cousin. >> the first police officer who confronted the suspect after the shooting just had her second surgery. a military spokesman said sergeant kimberly munley is in good condition. she was injured during the shootout with hasan. it is not believed to be life threatening. her supervisor initially said she brought down the suspect, but another officer also fired at him. so the army says that matter is still under investigation. >>> the u.s.s. new york built with steel from the world trade center, is officially in service. the ceremony took place yesterday on the hudson pie

. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton is in afghanistan. landed in kabul today, a surprise visit on the eve of president hammede karzai's inauguration there. >>> and the train could come at any moment, helped a woman that fell, and didn't even know her. >>> and how well will your car protect new an accident? experts put cars to the test. you may be surprised which one's at the top of the list. >>> a pregnant woman doesn't know who to thank for pulling fler the path of a subway train. it happened in brooklyn. she tells affiliate wabc she was waiting for the train, got light-headed and fell on to the tracks. two strangers jumped on to the tracks and got her. >> they were like superman. they didn't -- took off suit jackets, jumped in, lifted her and we all helped them get back on, because we weren't sure if the train was coming. >> god was really watching out for me and watching out for the baby. >> well, the woman bruised her face, as you saw, there but she and the baby are reportedly okay. >>> president obama says that we should not be afrai

white house is slamming reports that suggest president obama already decided to send more troops to afghanistan. national security advisor general jim jones says that reports are false. senior administration officials suggest that pentagon sources leaked misinfo. the president meets with his national security team tomorrow. >>> tropical storm ida is moving over mobile bay, alabama, right now. it's a piece of tape that we just got in recently about 30 minutes ago the national hurricane center says that ida did make landfall at dolphin island, alabama. ida has gotten weaker, though, but there is still the major concern is about the rains and thereof the flooding. >>> north and south korean warships clashed near their disputed seaboarder this morning exchanging fire. south korea claims a north korean ship was damaged after it deliberately crossed the border. a senior white house official says this may have been an accident that got out of control. >>> 31 minutes past the hour. hello. come into the room and sit down for a while if you got the time. i'm robin meade. good morning, sunshine. >>> durin

the situation in afghanistan is so perilous he will have to increase the number of troops. his level base does not want that. he is going to need the support of republicans. but nancy pelosi has said he won't get the votes in the house if he wants to increase the troops by a large number. that's a huge problem and people die because of decisions like that. so that's one side of it. and you look to the trial of mohammed. this will be happening during the 12i elections quite possible. this has been so politicized and has been painted as democrats weak on terror, democrats willing to give terrorist more rights than they have in their own countries and politically republicans get a lot of traction. i have been speaking with a lot of legal experts about that question, people who have successfully prosecuted terrorisms who say that even the military tribunals won't guarantee a conviction, the military tribunals are very vulnerable to supreme court challenges. so even just the fact of having it in a tribunal endangers that verdict. so they believe it is right to do it in a civilia

. >> she says specialist xiong would have deployed to afghanistan in january. his younger brother is already there serving with the marines. >> the youngest victim at the ft. hood shooting was 19 years old. aaron nemelka. his family spoke out this weekend. what have we learned about him? >> nemelka was the youngest of four children. in this situation his family says he graduated from a utah high school just last year and immediately enlisted into the military. >> aaron was intensely proud to serve under the leadership of the president. aaron felt keenly the responsibility of representing both his country and his family. he's proud to have fallen in the footsteps of both his grandfathers that served, two uncles that are in the military currently, and one cousin. >> one of nemelka's grandfathers received a purple heart in the korean war as well. his family says, robin, he was set to deploy to afghanistan himself also this coming january. >> i cannot imagine the pain of these families. richard, thank you. >> sure. >>> tough sentences for kids committing crimes tha

his family says he was planning to propose to his girlfriend next month before being deployed to afghanistan. >>> twitter is getting rid of their hand-picked list of suggested users. this comes after political watchdogs in california criticized the list claiming that it flavored democrats over republicans. twitter says it plans on a more systematic way to produce popular posters. right now there are about 54 million people who use that website. i need to get me some of them. all right. all right. i haven't twittered yet. >>> count secretary of state hillary clinton out of the running. this weekend she once again rejected claims that she's planning a campaign. she's committed to her current position. >> no, no. that's another one of those stories that never will die and i hope maybe we can put it to rest today. no, i am committed to the job that i have, it is an extraordinarily important time to be the secretary of state of my country and to work with president obama in trying to, you know, pursue our interests and advance our values around the world and that's what i'm going to continue doin