TGIF

(R-savior)
General Petraeus was confirmed unanimously by Congress and sent on his way to implement HIS counter-insurgency strategy giving the USA one more chance to stabilize Iraq. He was ordered to report on progress this week in September. Within weeks of his departure, reports of successes in Anbar and Baghdad starting to filter in through the Media "No News is Good News" barricade.

Democrats had put all their eggs in the failure basket and rallied to discredit Petraeus, deny the accuracy of any positive news and frantically devise one non-binding resolution after another, championing defeat and calling for some form of "cut and run." In partisan parlance, "quit now...make our radical anti-war base happy in an election year."

They couldn't get the 60 votes necessary to make complete fools out of themselves; yet however unbelievably, Democrats want to lose Bush's War more than they care about the consequences of failure to Iraqis, the Middle East, the reputation of our Military or their own Country...to R-credit, Republicans held the line.

(Moving on)
The unpopular reception of MoveOn's "Betrayus" Ad, backed D-rats into a corner and forced most of them to be very careful not to sound supportive of the widely condemned slur of an honorable soldier. Democrats were hammered relentlessly by all the Republicans on the committees who sat next to them while D-losers were squirming in their skins, sweating the bad publicity, fearing the well deserved tag...anti-military. Polls show that the American people trust the Military more than they do politicians..clearly, the Ad backfired and distracted from any loyal-opposition to the General's testimony.

(Jaws)
Not only did Hillary Clinton refuse to criticize the MoveOn/NYT "Betray Us" Ad, but she aligned herself with the sentiment-within. When she spoke to General Petraeus at his (pre-emptively maligned) presentation of the report on the Surge in Iraq, Clinton, prune faced, said this: "The reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief." Plus, dripping from her venomous tongue, she hooked Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker as "de facto spokesmen for a failed policy."

(Jumping the Shark)
Senator McCain was campaigning in New Hampshire, traveling in his bus formerly known as the Straight Talk Express... now the "No Surrender," when he slammed Hillary Clinton for her remarks to General Petraeus saying: "...it's a "willing suspension of disbelief" that Sen. Clinton thinks she knows more than Gen.Petraeus about events on the ground in Iraq." Plus, "There is no greater slander to a soldier than an accusation of betrayal to his nation. I do not understand why those seeking to be CIC have yet to forcefully denounce, in their own words, this McCarthyite attack on our commander."

(Piling on)
Notably, Rudy Giuliani's campaign bought an ad in the NYT praising Petraeus and his accomplishments...also, checking first hand on the "special" discounted price afforded to MoveOn by the Liberal leaning NYTimes. Rudy demanded and got the same price for his full page ad which appeared today.

(Captain Courageous..W's Speech)
Capping off this week's Iraq debate, GW Bush gave his most positive prime time speech to date. He told the American people what was suspected all along...we'd be in Iraq forever.

After seeing the divisions in Congress, the weak Maliki Government and our Arab allies in the region, required assurances from the USA promising an "enduring long term committment" to the defense of an independent Iraq from all outside forces. Our national security interest, i.e., Iraq and the region's OIL resouces, must remain controlled by the OPEC states; under no circumstances should the distribution of OIL be disrupted by Iran or Al Qaeda. If the Dems get their way and we abandon Iraq, an economic depression will befall a World that can not survive without Oil from the Middle East.

(Salute)
Republicans preferred that this week's contentious events rested on the popularity and credibility of General Petraeus who performed exceptionally well. Furthermore, he made the rounds of TV Talk Shows, Think Tanks and even the Press Club, confirming the expectation of victory in Iraq if we persevere, never waiver or show lack of resolve to our enemies; in other words, adopt the Democrats' M.O.

Moderate Republicans, seeking cover from critics at home, would rather the successful strategy in Iraq be credited to the more popular and trusted General Petraeus. BooHoo for them, because Bush's speech reminded the opposition that this whole Iraq adventure is the core of GW Bush's legacy. His fame or infamy, along with the status of the Republican Party, depends more on the General's warring skills than on GW's ability to communicate.