Today on a call with reporters and bloggers, Representatives McGovern (D-MA) and Pingree (D-ME) made it crystal clear that not only is the war in Afghanistan not making us safer, it’s truly hampering efforts to get this country back on track.

Repeatedly, Pingree and McGovern related how when it comes to domestic priorities like jobs, unemployment insurance and aid to states, the arguments they’re having with their colleagues in the House of Representatives center on spending, the deficit and the seemingly all-important question, “How are you going to pay for it?” But when it comes to the war, there’s no such debate. As Representative McGovern put it bluntly:

We’re going bankrupt, we can’t extend unemployment insurance, but when it comes to Karzai, we’re a bottomless pit.

With all the uncertainty on the scope of the extenders bill, David Obey has decided to take a hostage. Basically, there will be no war funding until the extenders bill gets resolved.

Blue Dogs will never see the relationship to their consistent opposition to stimulative job-creation measures and their personal job security. If they win in November, they’ll say it was because they avoided “tough votes” like this. If they lose, they’ll say it was because the caucus moved too far to the left. This catch-22 only hurts their constituents, however.

Fifty-eight congressional candidates and 20 activist organizations are opposing any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and inviting more candidates, incumbents, and organizations to join them.  The 58 candidates, from 25 different states, include 19 Democrats, 18 Greens, 17 Libertarians, 2 Independents, 1 Republican, and 1 Socialist.

Senator Tom Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma, is committed to opposing a supplemental spending bill that includes $33.5 billion to escalate war in Afghanistan, unless the funds to pay for it are found.