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To no one's surprise, the character assassins haven't waited for Gen. David Petraeus to deliver his report on the Iraqi troop "surge" before starting the campaign to trash his honor and reputation. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claimed Gen. Petraeus made statements "over the years that have not proved to be factual," and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin suggested Gen. Petraeus had "manipulated" statistics. The Democrats' ideological soulmates at MoveOn.org have an advertisement scheduled to run in today's New York Times titled: "General Petraeus or Gen. Betray Us?" The MoveOn.org announcement in particular is worth keeping in mind the next...

An Iraqi air force officer cadet class will soon walk across the stage here, picking up their diplomas and their commissions as second lieutenants. In preparation for their graduation, the soon-to-be officers took time out of their busy class room schedule to pick up a special issue of uniforms at one of the central issuing facilities here Aug. 28.

Americans trust military commanders far more than the Bush administration or Congress to bring the war in Iraq to a successful end, and while most favor a withdrawal of American troops beginning next year, they suggested they were open to doing so at a measured pace, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll. On the eve of what is sure to be a contentious debate on Iraq, the results underscored the benefits to the White House of entrusting the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, to make the case that an increase in American forces...

  Links of Interest CSPAN ScheduleCSPAN Video ArchiveWhite House Briefing pageWhite House Setting the Record Straight Live LinksCSPAN1 Video: Windows Media    Real Player CSPAN1 Audio: Windows Media    Real PlayerCSPAN2 Video: Windows Media    Real Player CSPAN2 Audio: Windows Media    Real Player CSPAN3 Video: Windows Media    Real Player CSPAN3 Audio: Windows Media    Real PlayerA stream from whitehouse.gov may be availible here (Real Player) In order to play the Real Media links, you need a suitable player. All of the archives are in this format, so you may wish to get one. You can get the genuine article from Real Networks here. Many...

Americans trust military commanders far more than the Bush administration or Congress to bring the war in Iraq to a successful end, and while most favor a withdrawal of American troops beginning next year, they suggested they were open to doing so at a measured pace, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll. On the eve of what is sure to be a contentious debate on Iraq, the results underscored the benefits to the White House of entrusting the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, to make the case that an increase in American forces...

Weeks ago, as the deadline for General David Petraeus’s progress report on the war loomed, journalists were already asking me what I thought of it. Then, as now, I do not know what to think of the report since it is not yet published. Even this coming week, after listening to the general’s testimony before Congress, I will have to read the report and transcripts numerous times, sleep on the information, and reflect on it in light of my own observations of the situation in Iraq. The outcome of the war in Iraq, and to some extent the greater War...

Two witnesses will testify to Congress today on progress in Iraq. ... Yet despite the spotlight focused on what has become known as the Petraeus report, the testimony of the man sitting beside Petraeus at the witness table, Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, may carry far more import for the long-term future of Iraq and the U.S. presence there. With little progress to recount in how the Iraqis have used the political "breathing space" that Bush promised his war strategy would create, Crocker's inevitably more nuanced appeal for time and patience is likely to be the tougher sell.

"This is John Smith, reporting live from the beaches of Normandy, where Allied troops have launched a massive invasion aiming to defeat the Axis." "John, this is Bob Brown back in the studio. Can you tell us when General Eisenhower thinks the first Allied troops can start to come home?" "What the . . ?" OK, the surge isn't D-Day. But surely an important part of what we are looking for in General Petraeus's report today is his assessment of the prospects for success in Iraq, right? Wrong -- if by "we" you include CNN. According to it's 9 A.M....

Today is maybe one of the most important day since the beginning of the Iraq war. The Democrats have failed to undermine their own country at war. Reps have been fighting those *** for 4 years and a half now, and finally America has achieved a major milestone against liberal defeatism. The surge has succeeded. Let's celebrate it. Watch the video for some good laughs.

Washington, D.C. (September 9th 2007) - Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom and Iraq War veteran, issued the following statement. "Tomorrow - as General David Petraeus provides his Iraq assessment to Congress - the anti-war group, MoveOn.org, is running a full - page advertisement in the New York Times with the headline: General Petraeus or General Betray us? Cooking the books for the White House. "Let's be clear: MoveOn.org is suggesting that General Petraeus has 'betrayed' his country. This is disgusting. To attack as a traitor an American general commanding forces in war, because his ‘on the ground'...

A protestor is removed by Capitol Hill Police on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007, as Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, not shown, testify on the future course of the war in Iraq before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Relations Committee. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

SAMARRA, IRAQ: In January of this year, General David Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to take command of multinational forces in Iraq. With him was to come a 'new direction' in the postwar effort there. Following on the heels of the failed strategy of General George Casey, now Chief of Staff of the Army, Petraeus brought with him a new approach to the fight to secure Iraq from the insurgent and terrorist population which had taken hold there. In a nutshell, a 'surge' in troops -- 30,000 more -- would be needed, the main effort of which...

Mr. Chairmen, Ranking Members, Members of the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to provide my assessment of the security situation in Iraq and to discuss the recommendations I recently provided to my chain of command for the way forward. At the outset, I would like to note that this is my testimony. Although I have briefed my assessment and recommendations to my chain of command, I wrote this testimony myself. It has not been cleared by, nor shared with, anyone in the Pentagon, the White House, or Congress. As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the...

I have to say that this isn't my original material - I used a series of Democrat Party Activists comments for this material: A Democrat HAIKU:verse 1. David Petraeus deserves to be mocked. He's not some sort of war hero. He's a liar. a crook. .verse two: . He's a hack. a warmonger. He is a disgrace to this country's uniform. Mocking this joker isn't childish. or stupid. Taking him seriously is.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A liberal advocacy group's print ad attacking Gen. David Petraeus drew a firestorm of criticism from both sides of the aisle on Monday. The ad, running in Monday's edition of the New York Times, shows a picture of Petraeus. Bold letters spell out "General Petraeus or General Betray us?" Moveon.org Political Action, which paid for the ad, accuses Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House" on progress being made in Iraq and calls him "a military man constantly at war with the facts." White House spokesman Tony Snow called the ad, running the same day...

At the beginning of the highly anticipated testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, top Democrats went out of their way to praise the two officials, while Republicans tried to tie the majority to a controversial ad that refers to Petraeus as “General Betray Us.” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) called Petraeus a good friend and labeled him and Crocker “two of America’s finest.” Skelton also moved quickly to have anti-war protesters thrown out of the crowded hearing room. “Out they go,” Skelton said when one was escorted out. House Foreign Affairs...

Transcript of Tom Lantos, Duncan Hunter, and Ileana Ross-Lehtenin: LANTOS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And, on behalf of all of the members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I want to extend the most cordial welcome to our two distinguished witnesses. Two of our nation's most capable public servants have come before us today to assess the situation in Iraq. General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker, every single one of us wants you to succeed in your efforts to the maximum possible extent. We admire the heroism and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and the dedication of...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Gen. David Petraeus told Congress on Monday that he believes the U.S. military can reduce forces in Iraq to pre-surge levels by the summer of 2008, and that the military objectives of the surge "are in large measure being met." Petraeus, the commanding general of the war, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker were testifying before Congress.......

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Monday in or near the hearing room where General David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are testifying on the situation in Iraq, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. Four anti-war protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct. One of them, who was not named, is being taken to George Washington Hospital “due to complaint of injury” is also charged with assault on a police officer. According to the information from the Capitol Police, Sheehan and the other three were shouting in a hallway.