No Firm Plans for a U.S. Exit in Afghanistan The New York Times - December 7 So officials try a balancing act as they sell the Afghan strategy. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of United States Central Command, said Sunday that there was a natural ''tension'' between a message of resolve and the message of impatience after eight years of war. But he said the twin messages were not mutually exclusive. Appearing on ''Fox News Sunday,'' General Petraeus said that the Obama administration was not planning a ''rush to the exits'' in Afghanistan, and that depending on the security conditions there could be tens of thousands of American troops in Afghanistan for several years. Both Mr. Gates and General Petraeus also have the job of easing concerns among military commanders about rigid withdrawal timetables. Mr. Gates has said in public that he opposed firm timelines, and during the administration's Afghanistan strategy review he insisted that any decisions about troop withdrawals be based on security conditions inside the country. White House rolls back curtain on troop surge call Politico - December 6 Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), usually an Obama ally, said on Fox News Sunday that he was skeptical about whether 30,000 more troops will make a difference, adding that "I would like to believe by July 2011 we will be in a position where were going to see our troops really coming home." How health care bills compare to lawmakers' plan Associated Press - December 6 The No. 2 Senate Democrat used the popularity of the plan that now covers lawmakers to taunt Republicans. "I don't find any Republicans who find government health insurance repugnant bailing out of their own health insurance plan that they enjoy as members of Congress," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said on "Fox News Sunday." There'd be many differences between the new insurance exchanges and the federal employee plan.