Greg Sargent on Obama's Afghan Speech Tonight

Greg Sargent:

* Obama will announce tonight that he’s bringing home 10,000 troops this year and another 23,000 by September 2012 — which would bring home his whole “surge” in a year and a half.

What to watch: Whether Obama effectively makes a persuasive case for continuing the war at the levels he wants to maintain.

* Rising antiwar sentiment means the 2012 candidates and other Republicans will have to tread very carefully indeed in the wake of Obama’s drawdown announcement.

* Senator Carl Levin says Obama’s drawdown would be too slow, and it’ll be interesting to see how much maneuvering room other Dems give Obama on the issue. MORE...