Buffy Anne Summers, aka

As you know, Mr. President, U.S. policy in Afghanistan is up for grabs. The debate rages around you in Washington about what to do.

The hawks, like John McCain and Joe Lieberman, advocate escalation — tens of thousands more troops. But others advise caution, and argue for a nimbler, counterterrorism approach.

As per usual, the war-mongers are questioning not just the strategy, but the motives and patriotism of those who disagree with them.

What’s the old saying about the man with a hammer thinking everything is a nail? It seems to me that’s how the right-wing and much of the Republican leadership think. Just about everything we’ve touched lately, we’ve smashed with that hammer, and their answer to cope with the increasingly failed result is a bigger, badder hammer — at a time when maybe we can’t even afford it anymore.

What I truly understand about the Afghanistan war could be handwritten on a post-it note, probably with room left over, but — since I occasionally like to delude myself into believing you or a member or your staff read this blog from time to time — I’d nevertheless like to add my puny little voice to those who are saying maybe it’s long past due for a little more nuanced approach: thoughtful, intelligent, and with an understanding that we have, and have always had, other tools at our disposal besides Olaf’s big ol’ hammer.

Please provide that leadership, Mr. President.

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