Petraefied

Yesterday's dog-tag and I-found-a-pony show had less to do with reality in Iraq than with political propaganda at home. Let's review:

• Gen. Petraeus may have claimed that his testimony was entirely his, but the law under whose auspices he testified at all required the President to report, and the White House framed the content.
• Petraeus has proven pretty adept before at delivering Bushist propaganda. (In his defense, any other practice would be a career-limiting move.)
• The escalation that was supposed to last 6 months and already be finished is now supposed to last 18. That may be more realistic than Duhbya's initial sales pitch (is there any lie he has scruples to avoid?), but it looks as though peace is receding.
• Anbar, the biggest (only?) success of recent months in Iraq, started improving in the fall, before the escalation.
• The media know this is all bullshit political theater. They don't care; they still report this and everything else as being "good for Republicans".
• CNN gets four quotes about politics - from two retired generals, a consultant to the Iraq Study Group, and David Gergen. Yeah, now there's a center-right bunch of "analysts".
  
• Petraeus says 2.5% of the troops might come home in January. Yeah, and I might win Megamillions the next time it's over $100 million.