U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt, R-5th District, who recently returned from a tour of Iraq, delivered an optimistic account yesterday of reconstruction efforts in the country. Nethercutt and 16 other members of Congress went to Iraq in late September. “I think we are making tremendous progress in [Iraq],” said Nethercutt. “The story of what we have done in the post-war period … has been remarkable. … The story is better than we might be led to believe in the news.” Nethercutt portrayed an Iraqi population with optimism similar to his. Although helicopters have been in the skies above Iraq for months,...