Once you’ve committed yourself – and I mean committed like the pig is committed to your bacon and eggs breakfast – to military defeat, national humiliation, diplomatic retreat and the abandonment of millions of people who trusted you in a strategically critical portion of the world to genocidal levels of violence, well: It can be pretty hard to contemplate the alternative. And since the surge is showing signs of (thankfully uneven) progress, well. Let’s just say it’s time to shoot the messenger:
Congressional Democrats are trying to undermine U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus’ credibility before he delivers a report on the Iraq war next week, saying the general is a mouthpiece for President Bush and his findings can’t be trusted.
“The Bush report?” Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin said when asked about the upcoming report from Gen. Petraeus, U.S. commander in Iraq.
“We know what is going to be in it. It’s clear. I think the president’s trip over to Iraq makes it very obvious,” the Illinois Democrat said. “I expect the Bush report to say, ‘The surge is working. Let’s have more of the same.’ “
General Petraeus, you will recall, was unanimously confirmed to his position by the Senate in an 81-0 vote (with 19 senators not voting).
But that was back in, like, January. Before all of this surge stuff had even happened. The idea of the general even partially pulling it off was all so very theoretical back then. I mean the war was over. We’d lost.
Good days. Salad days.
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Poor General Petraeus. He carries the hopes of so many people on his shoulders, for better or for worse. Most Americans and nearly 25 million Iraqis hope that he can bring the kind of stability to that shattered land that will enable a political accommodation, if not reconciliation. Or at least stop the bleeding for a while until things can be more or less sorted out.
Other folks at least have the courtesy to admit that positive news would be bad for them. For those folks, it’s really going to be important to stay on message. I’m talking discipline. No more of your Brian Baird cross-overs. Not if you’re really committed to losing this thing.
Oh, yeah: And plug your ears.
That’ll help too.
Cap’n,
These days, the Honorable Congress-members have difficulty remembering what they had for breakfast let alone what was said (and voted) 4 months ago. They’ll simply change the goalposts, foul-out any positive action and simply keep enervating the unwashed masses.
Did you hear what Chuck Schumer said??
gagging and unable to type…..
d
What about the statements that our current troop levels are unstustainable? Is that true? If so, then what about the continuation of the surge and what about a mandated reduction in troops based on our ability to field same?
How can the surge continue to work if we no longer have the numbers to sustain a surge?
Current troop levels are unsustainable only if we decide they are. The troops will do the job, it’s up to pundits and politicians to determine that the job is too difficult or might disturb families or requires too much time of the National Guard or might interfere with Happy Hour.
Rather than do actual work, the chattering classes above excel only in explaining why the work cannot be done. I’d prefer a more embedded source for claims that the surge is unsustainable.
– Max
saying the general is a mouthpiece for President Bush and his findings can’t be trusted.
So, who do they trust? As usual, it’s all bitching without presenting alternatives. Would they believe Sir Michael Moore? He might be able to find those kite flying kids again, so sadly, no. He wouldn’t be trustworthy either.
How about some anti-war congressmen that went over to take a look? Well, no, they saw progress and reported same. Drat. Well, we can always count on CBS and Perky Couric, can’t we? No? Ah, crap.
Oh well, go find that guy that created those TANG memos and see if we can get him to write something up against Petraeus. Maybe he missed a physical 20-some years ago. Yes, what a shame it would be if he had missed a physical and thus proven himself to be a craven war-dodging malingerer that cannot be trusted on any topic. [wink wink]
And is anyone surprised at this turn of phrase about the good General? I’m not – he’ll deliver his much-anticipated report next Monday, and no matter how good the news is, the Dems will spin it to their own twisted, sick and misguided purposes.
My only hope is that the American voters will remember it come election time next year; that the surge and its attendant efforts were working and that the Dems orchestrated a massive pullout effort, plunging the world into deeper chaos and unleashing the threat of AQ onto our own shores once again.
Web Reconnaissance for 09/07/2007…
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often….
Wasn’t General Petraeus confirmed unanimously by the Senate, aside from the few who either abstained (presumably because they couldn’t make an informed decision) or didn’t vote at all (presumably because they had something more important to do than, you know, their *job*)?
Going to be kind of difficult to confirm the new boss then say he’s a hack.
– Max
Are you saying you’re going to rip Lex’s carefully crafted wordsmithing? Looks like you’re site sells packaged speeches to who ever has the coin. Sorta bad taste if’n you do…