>> gene robinson had a column in "the washington post" on friday that said to just declare victory and go home. that is politically appealing. democrats cannot look weak, so he has a political problem right there. geostrategically, he has another problem. the only solution in afghanistan people seem to be talking about is a negotiated that went with it taliban agrees not to harbor al qaeda and agrees to some kind of easy peace. if you just pull out, you can probably not get that. much as i am tempted to agree with gene robinson, let's just get out of there, is probably too that we need to keep some kind of pressure on the todd heap and for it -- auger print it that todd heap and for a longer period of time to get for aof -- othe taliban longer period of time to get some sort of peace. >> we are going after al qaeda and more of their leadership. nation-building has not succeeded in afghanistan, and we need to pull back on that. we are putting money into a sinkhole. you see no capacity building taking place of any real doubt. the other thing about pulling out of afghanistan -- we cannot

gene robinson wrote the following in his column in "the washington post" on friday. the most disheartening thing he said is the absence of clear thinking. it was hard to tell if he was sticking to his strategy or switching, perhaps doing a little bit of both. no evidence that he considered the possibility that the war was being perpetuated not by rational pursuit of the national interest but by its own inertia. is there too much compromise that leads us to an uncleear wa forward? >> there's a legitimate question of what the end point should be or would be. we don't want it to be a negative end point given what we put into it. this is a careful process that result in the president's decision. and it's time based. it's -- it's time and circumstances based. one thing secretary gates and admiral mullen had been clear about. it could be quicker. we don't want to be in the process, from my perspective, of sending the wrong sickal a sign people like the taliban to be part of the end point of the negotiation. >> i've been saying all week, keep your eye on the diplomacy here.