KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A number of political candidates and leaders elected to represent East Tennessee in Washington D.C. have released statements about President Barack Obama’s Tuesday night speech. The speech outlined his plan to send 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan while pledging to start bringing them home in 2011.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee:
- "I will carefully consider what the president said tonight, and I look forward to hearing from Secretary Gates and our generals as they explain to Congress over the next two weeks what our strategy will be in Afghanistan. We need a bipartisan strategy that we’re prepared to see through to the end. My major concern is that the administration is more focused on an exit strategy than a success strategy. An exit strategy should come only after we’ve achieved success."

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee:
- “I first went to Afghanistan in November 2007 and was there again this past August to observe their presidential election and have seen firsthand the complexity of the situation. I look forward to further discussing what President Obama has laid out on Thursday when Admiral Mullen, Secretary Gates and Secretary Clinton testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I am curious to hear what the administration expects the conditions on the ground to be in 18 months when the announced withdrawal begins.”

Rep. John “Jimmy” Duncan R-Tennessee (2nd District):
- "I know that like any gigantic bureaucracy, the Defense Department always wants more money and more employees. But this is getting ridiculous and fiscal conservatives should be the ones most horrified by all this spending.

On top of all this, we still have 120,000 troops in Iraq and are still spending mega-billions there and the Pentagon is so bureaucratic, that we are told it will take several years to fully withdraw, if we ever do.

President Eisenhower warned us about the military-industrial complex, but I think even he would be shocked. This is all about money and power, but we can no longer afford to lose so many lives and spend and borrow so much money.”

Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tennessee (3rd District):
-" Our men and women currently in harm’s way in Afghanistan do not have the support they need to be successful. A troop surge clearly produced results in Iraq. Though the environment in Afghanistan is different, an investment of troop strength will create the conditions to stabilize the region and help support our men and women already on the ground. The more than 30,000 additional American troops that President Obama is committing should be a short-term solution with clear goals of success that will bring our armed forces home as soon as possible.”

Chuck Fleischmann (Republican candidate for the 3rd District):
-“While I wish the President would have come to this conclusion sooner, I am pleased that he is taking strong steps towards stabilizing Afghanistan and continuing to deny safe havens to terrorists around the world.”