[mburbank]

You seriously think there is good news to be heard?

To whatever degree the surge has reduced violence (debatable) The idea was to give the Iraqi 'government' time to move towards political settlement.

Not only has it not, it's moved backwards.

If it makes you happy, I don't think Patraeus is a 'shil', but neither was Colin Powell, per se, and he was willing to talk a huge amount of crap in the line of duty.