General George Casey, one of those “commanders on the ground” in Iraq, didn’t like the surge, so he was demoted.

And so then George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld brought in David Petraeus and sold the man as a new kind of leader, who conveniently enough backed escalation. I can understand why some people see him as a political hack.

All those crocodile tears over names he was called made you right wingers look pretty stupid, and weak, you know.

However the stupid debate in Congress over moveon.org’s ad ended up, it’s clear that as 2007 is the deadliest year yet for U.S. troops the “surge” is not “working.”

Now that “reconciliation” among Iraqi factions has been largely ruled out, it’s time for new leadership over the U.S. military in Iraq.

And America should take Britain’s example and start withdrawing, now.

And for those of you who will continue to insist that the project of turning over Baghdad to Iranian agents is an ever-turning tide about to sweep America to victory parades, stop pretending to care about decorum while selling a murderous war. It’s inane.