Townhall.com, Where Your Opinion Counts
Talk Radio:   Bill Bennett   Mike Gallagher   Dennis Prager   Michael Medved   Hugh Hewitt   
BREAKING NEWS  LeftArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican   RightArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican  
Columns, funnies & more in your inbox!
  • Check the boxes and send us your email address to receveive your free newsletter
  • Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
  • Townhall.com’s weekly inside scoop on what’s happening behind the scenes in the world of politics. When news breaks, we report.
  • Signup to receive the latest daily Townhall cartoons

Townhall.com The Blogspot for Political, Conservative and Republican Blogs and Bloggers


Monday, July 30, 2007
The Surge Is Working
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:46 AM
From Michael O'Hanlon's and Kenneth Pollack's op-ed in today's New York Times (HT: RealClearPolitics):



Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.


Read the whole thing.

I will cover conditions in Iraq on today's program with the Times' John Burns.


UPDATE: Tigerhawk and The Belmont Club comment.

View in ascending order View in descending order
drivebyposting writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 11:01 PM
What happened to all the elections?
Remember all those elections that were suppose to turn things around?

Isn't the military saying that the only way to win this is diplomatically and that the military can only provide the supporting role?

Where's the diplomacy?

Crying "Good News" has become the equivalent of "The Sky is Falling" for the Republicans.

Who is going to listen to you? You've cried wolf so many times on "Good News", where's the credibility?

I keep telling you people you have to give respect to get it. Republicans have no respect for the Public. They tell them what they want the public to believe.

If I had failed as many times at my paying job as has the Bush Administration I'd a been fired five times over. And then if I perchance were not fired and had done something right, would anybody care?

This war has cost the tax payers 1/2 trillion dollars, 1,000's of American lives, and a total collapse of our diplomatic standing in the world.

Even if the best possible scenario happens do you really think the American people are going to go, "Yeah, that 1/2 trillion dollars were worth it."

The public has yet to build up a head of steam with respect to the abuse of this war.

Republicans will be living down this debacle for years to come.
BLACKTYGRRRR writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 5:59 PM
General Petraeus = Best and Brightest
Of course the surge is working. This is what happens when you hire the best and brightest to do a job, and then get out of the way and let them do it.

Unless one has been living under a rock, or in congress (same thing), one can see progress being made. The fact that the Jayson Blair Times does not report this reflects badly on them as a paper, not the military itself.

Then again, the LA Times wants to free Taliban supporter, Radical Islamist, and Radical San Franciscan John Walker Lindh. So for once, the Jaydon Blair Times is not the # 1 obstacle to General Petraeus.

http://blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com/2007/07/30/support-terrorism-buy-the-los-angeles-times/

http://blacktygrrrr.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/unless-your-name-is-general-david-petraeus-your-opinion-on-the-war-is-irrelevant/

Respectfully,

eric
jtb-in-texas writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 5:17 PM
I think the defeat of Amnesty might have
caused heads to turn... Especially in the halls of those forest-guzzling dinosaurs in MSM...
Mike writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 4:26 PM
As bad as it seemed it was never
as bad as most of the MSM had tagged it. Now it appears it is going so well they have to admit it - not in the news, but as a guest op-ed piece - I am not giving them a pass on this yet. This is news and not just opinion - these are observations based on being there - it should have been a front page report, not an op-ed.

The only way we can lose this war is in the Halls of Congress
paddy o'furniture writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 3:11 PM
BD
Nice shot! :-)

While we lost more lives in a couple weeks at Kasserine Pass than we've lost in BOTH Iraq wars, Lefty knows victory for us over there means disaster for Lefty.

In spite of all the blather, that is all he is really concerned about.
BD writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 3:00 PM
My oh my, toady
such bitterness.

Why, Roosevelt should've been shot for being President when Pearl Harbor was bombed & the Philipines were lost & our guys were sent on the Bataan Death March & Kasserine Pass & .....

Try this:

Stand up; turn 180 degrees; open your eyes - the future's that-a-way, and the future is what matters.

Petraeus is winning this fight - and he's pursuing the only strategy being bandied about which has a prayer of winning this fight.

You'll eventually learn there's no majority out there for a U.S. defeat in Iraq.
MattlasShrugged writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 2:42 PM
This would mean a lot more...
...had it been written by actual critics of the Iraq invasion who had been opposed to it or had a track record of correct reporting and predictions that would lend them credibility. That is not the case, but hopefully they are right this time.
paddy o'furniture writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 1:19 PM
Wait a minute....
...I'm confused.

I was told the war is lost.

Now I hear the Surge is working....?!?!?

Who am I supposed to believe??? (sarc/off)
NeoConScum writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 11:14 AM
WOW...Good News from Pravda's...
...editorial page and already the lefties above are grousing,down-talking and sternly finger wagging.

True to form. They never disappoint.
Republitarian writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 11:05 AM
Nah Toady
We can remember we just choose to look forward and find a plan that does work instead of the Dimbulbocrats plan of retreat and surrender. Man if you guys had run the war in WW II( thank god dimocrats stood for something then) we would have just stayed at home.
Joe writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 9:23 AM
NYTs trusted?
How about the Brookings Instition? Then again, remember that John Burns also writes for the NYT.

The point is many of us have been saying give the surge a chance before you pull the plug. Now some critics are saying--wait a second, it may actually be working. That is a good thing, because you can take it as confirmation that progress is being made.

Iraq is a mess, but it could be far far worse than it currently is. The Petraeus plan is making things better.

drivebyposting writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 9:02 AM
NYT
Funny, how they NYT is trusted on this?

While I personally do not watch TV, I'm sure Fox News has been reporting this as well?

John Konop writes: Monday, July, 30, 2007 8:56 AM
Heat Rises Between Iraq PM and Petraeus

Is it not clear now that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s has no intention of sharing power with the Sunnis? Do we have any choice but to recognize each group separately and stop pushing a strong federal government?

AP-A key aide says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s relations with Gen. David Petraeus are so poor the Iraqi leader may ask Washington to withdraw the overall U.S. commander from his Baghdad post.

Iraq’s foreign minister calls the relationship “difficult.” Petraeus, who says their ties are “very good,” acknowledges expressing his “full range of emotions” at times with al-Maliki. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who meets with both at least weekly, concedes “sometimes there are sporty exchanges.”

It seems less a clash of personality than of policy. The Shiite Muslim prime minister has reacted most sharply to the American general’s tactic of enlisting Sunni militants, presumably including past killers of Iraqi Shiites, as allies in the fight against al-Qaida here.

READ MORE

http://controlcongress.com/uncategorized/heat-rises-between-iraq-pm-and-petraeus
Sign Up to Post Your Comments Sign Up to Post Your Comments
Please take a few seconds to sign up, then you’ll be able to post your comments immediately, use the action center, get podcasts, create your own blog and more! If you are already registered, click here.
Note: Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required.
Salutation:
First Name:
*
Last Name:
*
Email:
*
Address 1:
*
Address 2:
City:
*
State:
*
Zip:
*
Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
(Bi-Weekly) We highlight the best opportunities from our partners for surveys, action items and more.
 


Your Blog Postings:
Last updated 22 Minutes 33 Seconds Ago
Last updated 31 Minutes 38 Seconds Ago
Last updated 44 Minutes 47 Seconds Ago
Last updated 48 Minutes 26 Seconds Ago
Last updated 51 Minutes 21 Seconds Ago
 

Archives of our Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs

Blog Search



Townhall Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs Townhall Blogs
Townhall Conservative, Republican, Political Columns Columns
Your Townhall Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs Your Blogs
By Month
 November 2009
 October 2009
 September 2009
 August 2009
 July 2009
 June 2009
 May 2009
 April 2009
 March 2009
 February 2009
 January 2009
 December 2008
 November 2008
 October 2008
 September 2008
 August 2008
 July 2008
 June 2008
By Issue
 A Culture of Life
 Budget & Government
 Campaigns & Elections
 Education
 Energy & Environment
 Faith & Family
 Foreign Affairs
 Health Care
 Immigration
 Jobs & Economy
 Judges & Courts
 Media & Culture
 Property Rights
 Safety & Security
 Science & Technology
 Second Amendment
 Social Security
 Tax Relief
Advertisement

Comments Comments

Jo
 Re: Here Comes the Judge?
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
Jo
 Re: Here Comes the Judge?
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
Yes, People Need Food
 Re: NYT: Being On Food Stamps No Longer Carries A Stigma
  By K.G.
Thanks for Conceding the Point, HOmer.
 Re: This Day in American History...
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
Here's the real problem.
 Re: And the Countdown Continues
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
Axe the mental case:
 Re: This Day in American History...
  By homer noble
Eugene
 Re: Here Comes the Judge?
  By Jo
clarityseeker
 Re: Here Comes the Judge?
  By Jo
mike: Quite right
 Re: Only Global Warming Critics Can Save Climategate Scientists
  By K.G.
originalist
 Re: Only Global Warming Critics Can Save Climategate Scientists
  By mike
grace
 Re: And the Countdown Continues
  By Paul
does cretino have a job?
 Re: Twenty lessons your teenage daughter will learn from the Twilight movies
  By dreadnaught
Homer's irrelevent point
 Re: This Day in American History...
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
many thanks, cretino
 Re: Twenty lessons your teenage daughter will learn from the Twilight movies
  By dreadnaught
Dread
 Re: Twenty lessons your teenage daughter will learn from the Twilight movies
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
molotov
 Re: Only Global Warming Critics Can Save Climategate Scientists
  By mike
hogtie that mouth, gracie
 Re: And the Countdown Continues
  By dreadnaught
Dread- Just for you...
 Re: Twenty lessons your teenage daughter will learn from the Twilight movies
  By Careful with that axe, Eugene
twomay
 Re: 'This isn't the Britain we fought for,' say the 'unknown warriors' of WWII
  By Seadog
Just Thinking How Much AlGore Reminds...
 Re: Only Global Warming Critics Can Save Climategate Scientists
  By K.G.

The Latest on Town HallThe Latest on Town Hall


Blog Roll Blog Roll