Senate hopefuls wary of troop buildup

US Representative Michael Capuano and City Year founder Alan Khazei said they are opposed to any expansion now. Attorney General Martha Coakley said she is not convinced more troops should be sent, and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca said he is also skeptical but would like to hear from top military leaders.

All four said they feared getting bogged down in a war without clear goals and an exit strategy. Their opposition could signal the trouble the president may have winning support for any buildup among liberal members of his own party.

Capuano said he’s willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt if he can make the case for more troops, but he is not convinced yet.

“I start from the position that if he’s simply asking for more troops, my answer is no,’’ Capuano said during the candidates’ forum at Merrimack College.

Capuano said the country needs to focus on diplomatic efforts in Pakistan, which is battling Taliban insurgents, in an effort to help bring stability to the region.

Coakley also said the country should emphasize diplomacy in Pakistan before committing more troops to Afghanistan.

“I think we need to have a clear mission about what we are doing in Afghanistan,’’ she said. “I don’t believe the case has been made yet that the mission is clear or that more troops in Afghanistan would accomplish that.’’

Khazei called increasing troop levels “a bad idea’’ and said the administration should instead be pressing for new elections in Afghanistan in the hopes of a change in leadership from the current administration of President Hamid Karzai, which he called corrupt.

“We need a new partner there,’’ Khazei said. “We need to be able to say what’s the exit strategy. We’ve already been there for eight years, twice as long as it took us to defeat Hitler.’’

Pagliuca said he was leery of increasing the military presence in the country.

“I’m skeptical of any buildup of troops,’’ Pagliuca said, adding he would like to hear from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military leaders. He said upping the number of troops in troubled regions such as Afghanistan is tough where there is a weak central government.

“It’s very difficult for us to be successful in what I would call nation building,’’ he said.

The candidates largely agreed on a number of other topics raised during the forum - from the need for expanded health care to opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local, and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits.

Coakley said the law discriminates against married same sex couples in Massachusetts, forcing them to keep separate records for the state and federal government.

“It’s unfair to say you have to keep two sets of books . . . because the federal government wants to discriminate against same sex couples,’’ she said.

Capuano faulted Coakley for not taking a more public position against the war in Iraq and Patriot Act. He voted against both.

“If you remain silent . . . you should be held accountable,’’ he said.

Pagliuca said his failure to cast ballots in some presidential primaries was “a big mistake’’ and called his decision to donate money to former President George W. Bush’s campaign “a bad investment.’’

Khazei said he wants to bring his community organizing experience to the Senate. “That’s what my life has been about, taking big ideas and putting them into action,’’ he said.

Party primaries are Dec. 8. The special election is Jan. 19.