CNN

Maybe if the Community-Organizer-in-Chief was to apologize to them some more.

Corker recognizes "smugness" because that's what his party and the Republican administration had given for the past eight years.

Obama should just get out of Afghanistan. Bring the troops home and strengthen homeland security. There is nothing to be gained by staying in Afghanistan – nothing. And there is no military objective that is achievable in Afghan 0, zip, nada, none.

This is now Obama's War and it will become his Vietnam and the reason he does not win a second term -

Just because the Bushies could not "follow the money" does not mean that the Obama administration cannot either. President Obama has said many times that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get Bin Laden, something the Bushies never even card about.

Sen. Corker is a slow thinker, I guess. He has had five or six years to bring his concerns about Afghanistan's leadership to our attention. Back when the Bush Administration put him in power would have been an excellent time to bring up this issue. Sen. Corker, back then, was questioning the patriotism of anyone who raised questions like these.

There must be something in the water in DC that causes people to forget what they said a few years ago.

Karzai has actually benefited greatly in the past few weeks by distancing himself from the US. It's enabled him to co-opt potential opponents, laying the groundwork for a convincing win in the upcoming Afghan elections. Same thing with Zardari of Pakistan. Kissing up to the US will typically not win you friends, even with the Great One as POTUS.

Basically they are like do what you plan to do and go. They are ready for us to leave their country alone.

These guys are not credible with me. They're talking about a conversation with people from a completely different culture. How can they judge the "smugness" or "flippancy" of people with whom they have nothing in common? Those are strictly American concepts.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s response certainly does not make me feel we should be placing our own troops in harms way in Afghanistan with it's own President making this comment when asked what he thought the mission of US Troops should be. He said, "Look, this is your mission".

At the same time I am just angered by the response by the President of Pakistan when asked by Wolf Blitzer if he had any idea where Osama bin Laden was hiding and he responded with something to the effect that, "You (USA) lost him. That was your problem." As far as I am concerned, they should be left to duke it out and let one winner rule both countries. Then we can monitor the winner and take whatever preventative action as may be required to insure the safety of OUR COUNTRY.

Corker and Casey call someone else "smug" and "flippant?" That's rich!

Why do we have to continue to provide military and monetary aid to these countries? It doesn't appear that they are serious about a solution, except the solution that our money will ease the difficulties, for someone. Until the world leaders get serious, let's pull our troops out. Marlene in Mich

Partnership? Is that what you call an invasion, and then trying to pick up the pieces of a destroyed society? We got the Taliban out of power, great. Don't say that just because we did something good means we're suddenly right to do so in the first place. If the purpose of the war was to eliminate the Taliban, then perhaps it might have been a partnership. Its not when we go in on false claims and faulty intelligence

What republicans in government fail to understand is that the whole world hates them.....not just George W Bush. There is no trust of the republicans in congress or the senate from Americans here at home, or of any nation abroad. Why do you think we kick them out at every chance we get and the world cheers. The less republicans in our government have to do with other nations, the quicker America will be able to regain it's respect, trust and leadership role in the world.

Why on earth would the senators have expected anything else from the Afghan and Pakistani leaders? Under the Karzai administration the opium trade has soared and the Taleban (his "former" and long-time allies) have basically taken control of most of the country. Pakistan has used billions in US aide to arm against India, and have all but abandonned the northwest to the Taleban and tribal leaders. Neither of those "leaders" is remotely in charge of their country, and both stay in power by appeasement. It is fairly obvious that US aide is being indirectly used to fund much of the insurgent activity in the area. It really has been a brilliant play by these leaders...we cannot leave, and we cannot win. It is a perpetual motion money machine.

These countries are what they are due to their history, and we have had more than a little to do with their recent history, helping to make them what they have become today. We also have no choice in being active in this region of the world. In addition, neither one of these leaders has much choice other than to do what we ask them, or just sit on the sidelines, impotent, which doesn't go down well with their supporters. The best thing we could do now is to follow Teddy's (a Republican to remember) advice: speak softly, and carry a big stick. Why criticize those with little choice? And if we do, why be surpised when they are less than happy with the situation?

I wish Dick Cheney would just crawl in a hole and go away. I'm sick and tired of listening to him; NOTHING positive ever comes out of his mouth.

Go away Dick and spend the millions you've pilfered from the American people.

The smugness most likely came from Corker. Has anyone forgotten his smug, racist campaign to get in to the senate? Another holier than thou politician.

All people kike Corker want to see if everyone "bowing" down to America and letting Americans have their way with them. Time to enter the twenty first century where world domination and imperialism is dead.

Right now, Karzai's main concern is keeping himself in power and he will do that at the expense of the U.S. if he has to. No, our relationship is not what we would like it to be and given the history of the region, it is unlikely to improve any time soon. America must ask itself this question: Given the current economic crisis that we are experiencing, how long can we afford to continue to pump billions of dollars and an unknown number of U.S. lives into these two wars? Both Maliki and Karzai seem to have answered – as long as it takes. But, is that in the long term best interests of the United States? The American people need to decide this and let their elected officials and the President know how they feel. Conservative estimates have us in Afghanistan for 3 to 5 more years BUT – will things be different by then? Estimates have us in Iraq through at least 2011 and probably beyond? It seems that even in Iraq, the violence and hatred continue to bubble just beneath the surface. This indicates the lack of any real political soluton to the ethnic/sectarian divisions that have plagued Iraq and will continue to plague Iraq for a long time to come.

What else is new...we have that same smuggness in our own government, look at Piglosi, Reid, Dodd, gay boy Barbie Frank, Kennedy, Boxer, Feinstein, , Kerry, the list goes on, when people like these morons get power, they beome smug and think the world revolves around them and thier arrogante attitude towards the rest of the world. So where is the suprise here...CNN, get real and put some real news on the net or just shut up!

that's the mission

in no need of articulation.

When it appears the Taliban will take over that country, look for President Karzai to bug out to a villa on the Riviera paid for at our expense.

This from a foreign car salesman,Corker, from Tennessee.Bob your mouth should have a cork in it.How this moron got on this important committee is beyond me and very scarey.

smug......isn't that a word often used to describe obama? Better get used to it.

Great to hear the G.O.P. congress-man are just now starting to ask the hard questions – 8 years after we first got involved. Now they're questioning the afghan leadership – the same guy who's been in power since we came in. Way to go Corker. Looks like your all over it.

Aim high!

Holy Cow , Bob Casey in the limelight ?

How long will we continue to pour money and resources into other countries, who really despise us, while our own people here are in such dire need?

Well, Mr Corker I think you are smug also and have always thought so!
Haven't seen a thing you have done for our state since you have been in office, of couse that doesn't make you smug you just act smug. First impressions I guess

If I recall America actually wasn't invited into Afghanistan to help out with anything but invaded to find Bin Laden. If Congress doesn't know what they need to do there or why they are there then maybe they should be somewhere else.

Just a thought but I don't want to confuse the issue with the facts!