Petraeus Meets His Match

The general has made real progress in Iraq. But he doesn't have an answer for Barack Obama

Chip Somodevilla / Getty

Senator Barack Obama listens to testimony from U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus

Senator Joseph Lieberman has become something of an agent provocateur in the semiannual Petraeus-Crocker hearings staged by the U.S. Senate. This semester he chose to open his remarks by chastising unnamed colleagues for having a "hear no progress ... see no progress ... speak no progress" attitude about the war in Iraq. That may have been true in the past, as there was no progress. This time, however, nearly all the Senators, including most Democrats, opened their comments by praising the general and the ambassador for their fine work—noting the reduced casualty rates and the success against al-Qaeda. The...

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