Nancy Pelosi says ‘surge’ is working

The Associated Press tucked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s declaration deep in a story about Iraq, but it’s there: She says Iraq’s democratic government is taking real steps toward national reconciliation. The “surge” is working.

The prime minister [Maliki] returned to Baghdad from Mosul — where he has been overseeing the crackdown — to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who made a surprise visit to Iraq on Saturday.

Pelosi, a top Democratic critic of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, expressed confidence that expected provincial elections will promote national reconciliation.

She welcomed Iraq's progress in passing a budget as well as oil legislation, and a bill paving the way for the provincial elections in the fall that are expected to more equitably redistribute power among local officials.

“We’re assured the elections will happen here, they will be transparent, they will be inclusive and they will take Iraq closer to the reconciliation we all want it to have,” said Pelosi. She also met with Iraq’s parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq.

Pelosi, who also traveled to Iraq in January 2007 shortly after the Democrats assumed congressional control, has been a sharp critic of the Bush administration's conduct of the war and has pressed for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country this year.

The calming. Pelosi avoided saying the “surge” succeeded when she saw that al Qaida was being trounced or that violence in Iraq was down dramatically. She has held to the Democratic Party line that armed forces have nothing to do with winning wars. (I suppose we closed our eyes tight and made wishes during World War II.) To Pelosi, demoralizing and defeating Iraq’s enemies was worthless. Reconciliation was the only thing to do (as if it could happen while fascists and fanatics were killing 400 or 500 Iraqis a week).

Well, now that the fascists and fanatics aren’t killing 400 or 500 Iraqis a week, the Iraqis have for months been taking the big public steps toward reconciliation. Pelosi finally has noticed. We’re winning the war!

Frank Warner

Update: Pelosi changes her mind, or pretends to, for political purposes.

Comments

[Kevin]

I, for one, was not willing to believe my own eyes without the San Fran Nan giving the surge the thumbs up.

[Kevin]

Frank, my semi-yearly bids to get you to change your banner continue. How about this one? You're like a bad cop, but with a heart of gold. C'mon, it's almost like a Disney movie. In the end, all of the people you've helped achieve freedom all live happily ever after!

Also, your cop boss forgives you for your non-standard methods when he sees all of the good you've done.

Great banner, great story. Please consider it. Possible upgrades include a photo of Amy Adams, or giving you some kind of energy weapon like a light sabre or a photon cannon. No capes though. If you want to wear a cape, I'm out. That's where I draw the line.