'A report next month ...'
With all due respect to my colleague Jules, I wouldn't exactly call the CNN poll results that he cites "nothing less than a ringing endorsement" of Gen. Petraeus and the current surge strategy. ... The numbers: 47 percent say the military is making progress; 49 percent say not. 47 percent of those who oppose the war say Petraeus' forthcoming report won't change their minds; 17 percent said it could. ... You decide. ... Granted, he put the numbers in the 'given the history' context of recent polls. But they're still far from landslide support, given the history or not. ... Listen, I like Petraeus. I think his surge has militarily worked far better than expected. I oppose an immediate and complete withdrawal. But until the Iraqi government and people get their political act together, the surge ain't going to work in the long run. That's probably one of the reasons why the White House is already leapfrogging ahead of the September report and preparing for a troop drawdown next year, as noted here earlier. ...  ¶ 7:18 AM