Surge a Success Declares Skeptics!
Yea, only in Wingnutia (and Fox News) could 'totally and utterly failed' be considered 'praise' for the troop surge. That's how Sen. Carl Levin described his take after a recent furlough to that war torn country. But then, I can understand the confusion because Levin is applying his criticism to goals that are no longer operative. Sure when Bush announced the troop surge back in January, it was said to be an effort to give the Iraqi government 'breathing room' to reconcile and if you go by that standard, sure the surge has failed.
But ever so imperceptibly (at least to anyone not inhabiting the wing-o-sphere or a Fox News) the goals of the troop surge became less and less of what they once were. Now the basic goal seems to be to provide some limited security for the foreseeable future. By that standard, the surge has been a rousing success so long as you ignore all the carnage taking place in areas where the surgin' troops aren't present.
So when Gen. Petreaus reports on September 11th (serendipitous no?), look for the more limited goals to be the standard by which the surge will be judged. Sen. Levin needs to get with the program and realize that past statements are no longer operable once the goalposts are moved.
See also fellow ASZer Daniel DiRito on what else Levin had to say.
(Filed at State of the Day and All Spin Zone)
But ever so imperceptibly (at least to anyone not inhabiting the wing-o-sphere or a Fox News) the goals of the troop surge became less and less of what they once were. Now the basic goal seems to be to provide some limited security for the foreseeable future. By that standard, the surge has been a rousing success so long as you ignore all the carnage taking place in areas where the surgin' troops aren't present.
So when Gen. Petreaus reports on September 11th (serendipitous no?), look for the more limited goals to be the standard by which the surge will be judged. Sen. Levin needs to get with the program and realize that past statements are no longer operable once the goalposts are moved.
See also fellow ASZer Daniel DiRito on what else Levin had to say.
(Filed at State of the Day and All Spin Zone)
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