This article might have been better as two articles - to highlight where BOTH of these Massachusetts politicians stand, but it is an incredibly well written article that explains well where they stand and what the two basic positions are.
First Jim McGovern - he has gotten 57 Democratic Congress people to sign a letter which predicts that the counter insurgency effort could last 10 years or more. McGovern was in Afghanistan during their elections. (The article lists the MA Congressmen who signed it - including the only representative who is running for Kennedy's seat - Capuano )
Now Kerry - After mentioning the Congressional leaders meeting with Obama yesterday, the article contrasts McCain supporting the counter insurgency strategy with McGovern and Kerry questioning it.
“The president said our mission is to disrupt and dismantle al-Qaida and prevent them from coming back into this country,” Mr. Kerry said of the post 9-11 war plan. “They are not in Afghanistan now,” he said of al-Qaida, and if the U.S. and its coalition partners gear up military operations to suppress the Taliban as recommended recently by Gen. McChrystal, he said, “It is no longer an anti-terrorism strategy.”
<snip>
What Gen. McChrystal has outlined is a counterinsurgency strategy,” Mr. Kerry said. The general's call for as many as 45,000 more troops to add to 68,000 American forces already deployed, Mr. Kerry said, comes at a time of growing doubt over the central Afghanistan government of President Hamid Karzai and whether the U.S. can fight to support that government against a locally supported insurgency.
While developing a new strategy, Mr. Kerry said, he is asking whether the U.S. can continue waging war against the Taliban with the current military footprint in the country and succeed.
“Moreover,” he asked, “Do you have government that can make it happen? We don't have that now.”
http://www.telegram.com/article/20091007/NEWS/910070419/1052(There is a lot in this informative article. It was tough to abide by the 4 paragraph rule and to summarize some of it. Reading the whole thing is worth it.