Patraeus Betrayed Us

So what is there to say really about the dog and pony show being put on in Congress this week that hasn’t been said already? The fact that Field Marshal Patraeus is willing to get up in front of the nation and regurgitate the spin which has been spoon fed to him by the White House speaks volumes about his character and about what it takes to rise to the top of the armed forces. I guess he’s been taking private lessons in reputation sullying from Colin Powell in his spare time. Ultimately Patraeus’s performance isn’t too surprising; the military gets its marching orders from the civilian leadership and can hardly stand up in Congress and tell the truth about the state of things in Iraq. This would reflect badly on the Commander in Chimp. Nor is it really surprising that the Democrats have been muted in their criticism of the general. Half the democratic interviewees spent precious soundbite time distancing themselves from Move On’s “Patraeus/betray us” campaign. (More on this in the next post). No, what surprises even me is how soft the mainstream media has been in reporting on the General's obvious misstatements, half-truths and outright falsehoods about what is going on in Iraq. It's as if Patraeus's uniform has rendered him immune to any discussion in the press about his motivations. Did the media learn nothing from Oliver North draping himself in the flag in the 1980s when testifying before Congress at the Iran-Contra hearings? Apparently not. Can't attack the generals, it would mean we aren't Supporting Our Troops!

One thing clear to anyone listening even half-heartedly to the news is that no matter what we liberal bloggers and the rest of America want, it is inescapably clear that we will remain in Iraq in full force through the end of the Bush presidency. Moreover, according to a Fox News report this morning, "'everyone in town' is now participating in a broad discussion about the costs and benefits of military action against Iran, with the likely timeframe for any such course of action being over the next eight to 10 months."Rock on fascists, rock on.