MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and New York Times Magazine contributing writer who spent time embedded with the troops in Afghanistan, Elizabeth Rubin, join The Last Word with reaction.
ThinkProgress.org
Source: Amy Belasco, "The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11"
At 8pm ET, President Obama is scheduled to address the nation on the war in Afghanistan. According to The New York Times, he’s expected to outline plans to bring roughly 30,000 American troops home by next summer.
These drastic reductions — not recommended by Obama’s top military commanders — signal the mounting political and economic pressure to drawdown immediately.
ThinkProgress made a great chart illustrating troop levels throughout the dragged out war effort. Surprisingly, even with these expected reductions, there are still more troops on the ground now than when Bush was in office.
Lawrence and Rachel Maddow will bring you live coverage of Obama’s speech tonight. Tune in at 8pm ET on MSNBC.
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell airs at 10pm ET, Monday through Thursday on MSNBC. The show channels O'Donnell's extensive background in politics and entertainment.
