Blind, Ignorant and Ungrateful Mudbloods

I've got Harry Potter fever this week. So sue me.

Critics may question the efficacy of continued American involvement in Iraq, but the most recent progress report painted a much less bleak picture than the anti-war left and the administration's opponents would have you believe:

"Iraqis made satisfactory progress in meeting eight benchmarks, including committing three brigades for operations in and around Baghdad, and spending nearly $7.3 billion in Iraq’s money to train, equip and modernize Iraqi forces."

The New York Times very slyly wrote that "Mr. Bush repeatedly invoked the threat of Al Qaeda as a reason to stick with his strategy," clearly implying that the threat from al Qaeda was overblown. The Times also said Bush was "portraying the conflict as a showdown with Al Qaeda and warning that moving toward withdrawal now would risk “mass killings on a horrific scale.”

"Portraying." Interesting choice of adjective. Not "explaining" or "presenting," which would imply a far less sophistic rationale on Bush's part. At the very least, Bush should be recognized for his willingness to discuss the mass casualties that would ensue upon a U.S. pull out, unlike Harry Reid, who flatly refused to answer the question. How Cornelius Fudgesque. How Dolores Umbridgesque.

No matter that al Qaeda in Iraq is responsible for 80-90% of attacks.

No matter that our senior military leadership state that:

"The security environment in Iraq continues to be characterized by a number of threats... today we will provide an update on the principal near term threat to Iraq, which is al Qaeda of Iraq. In their own statements, al Qaeda leaders have declared Iraq their central front... our intelligence community, the government of Iraq, and the MNF all assess aqi as the main near term threat. AQI is a network led and fueled by foreign extremists who envision a new caliphate, and according to al Qaeda senior leader Zawahiri's latest video, they claim the al Qaeda gateway to victory starts in Iraq."

No matter that al Qaeda has published maps of its presence in Iraq:

No matter that our military routinely kills and captures al Qaeda members in Iraq.

No matter that the war in Iraq cannot compare in loss of life among our service members in comparison to past conflicts:

No matter that former AQI leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri was a top aide for Zawahiri, al Qaeda's number two, since 1982.

And how do the anti-war defeatist Democrats respond to such evidence? By voting to Begin Iraq Pullout in 4 Months.

No wonder Pat Dollard calls 'Wartime Washington' "An Unpatriotic Disgrace And A National Menace." With good reason.

Washington has a funny way of showing its gratitude to our troops. In one breath, the troops are complimented for their "bravery" and "effort," while their sacrifice is simultaneously made forfeit by lesser men and women.