Rep. Smith: U.S. foreign policy efforts, wars aren't 'basketball games'

Americans too often view their nation's efforts abroad as they would a basketball game: in clear terms of wins and losses, a senior House Democrat said.

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.), speaking Friday at the Council on Foreign Relations, urged Americans to avoid judging the nation's foreign affairs "like a basketball game."

Smith made clear he likes basketball. But it is more accurate to look for incremental success as America's foreign policy maneuvering and armed conflicts play out, Smith said.