Politics | President Obama No Afghanistan Withdrawal, Obama Tells Lawmakers But still undecided on proposed buildup By Will McCahill Posted Oct 6, 2009 8:00 PM CDT Copied Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., right, House Minority Leader John Boehner, center, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, left, leave the White House today. (AP Photo) President Obama won’t commit to sending more troops to Afghanistan, but neither will he withdraw any, he told congressional leaders in a White House meeting today that included a sharp exchange between the president and Republican Sen. John McCain. Obama wanted to “dispense with the straw man argument that this is about either doubling down or leaving Afghanistan,” sources tell the New York Times. With the Republicans in the 30-lawmaker contingent urging an immediate surge, “time is not on our side,” McCain said, adding, “This should not be a leisurely process.” Obama replied: “John, I can assure you this won’t be leisurely. No one feels more urgency to get this right than I do.” Read These Next A space capsule carrying ashes of 160 people crashed in the ocean. A lesson in minding your own business ... at 30,000 feet. At least 13 people are dead in Texas flooding. The death toll in the Texas floods has risen to 27, including 9 kids. Report an error