Somehow the MSM, and others - such as lefty bloggers - are under a grave misconception about the General Patraeus report.

There is a hugh misconception that “this is it”, that after this report if there is not significant progress (according the Democrat’s expectations) then we’re pulling out and coming home.

This of course is false. The Report is a progress report but as to whether or not troops will head home is under the sole command of the President as advised by his military leaders on the ground.

In case you missed it the the report won’t make any minds change on the Democrat side - they’ve made them up already. That’s why they done all those “side order” reports such as from the GAO and others to show that nothing is working out and that all is lost. It’s a familiar script and tactic of the Democrats to nuke that which they do not like.

Again, it makes little difference what report they believe or even if they believe Patraeus and Crocker. The only way Democrats and RINOS stop the war is by pulling the funding - period. That is something they are not going to do for one simple reason.

Again, Vietnam. No matter how much they protest the use of the comparison between 1975 and today the pure and simple fact is that they do not want a repeat of the after-effects that they experienced after Saigon fell and they were forced to the back end of the political wilderness.

The other reason is that according to US News and World Report, is that over the recess Republicans have actually seized an advantage in the debate:

“Rank-and-file Democrats in Congress are criticizing the party’s leaders for allowing the White House to sap momentum from the antiwar movement during the August recess. ‘The White House is taking great advantage of the Democrats not pushing back,’ said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, California Democrat and co-founder of the antiwar Out of Iraq Caucus.” The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reports the new approach could expose the Democrats in particular to potentially harsh criticism from the party’s left wing that they have abandoned the real fight to end the war now.”

The reason they are not “pushing back” is because the moderate - and so far controlling - group of the Democrats aren’t relishing a return to the wilderness and deciding to “retreat” themselves and let things play out. This has basically neutralized Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi’s moves to end the war.

The Patraeus report is going to show significant military gains and subsequent improvements in security and will only receed if we exit Irag or even reduce troops past a “token” level. The “political situation” argument is stupid because no one at the beginning fo the surge believe that the Iraq government would be hitting on all eight cylinders by now. Yet thats exactly what the democrats are now focused on.

Not withstanding that the rememergence of a sickly and fake bearded Bin Laden who says himself that the fight is now in Iraq. The Democrats cannot afford be recalled again as the party that pulled troops from the fight against the mastermind of 9/11.

The Patraeus/Crocker report is a milestone by it’s not the end of the road for the right to secure Iraq.