MSNBC headline: "Bush Listens Closely to His Man In Iraq"
"His man" indeed. It's well known that Petraeus was in the minority in the Pentagon when it came to recommending a surge of troops in Iraq. Most, including Army Chief of Staff General Casey and former ground commander General Abazaid, were either opposed or lukewarm at best. Dumbya chose and promoted the commander that echoed his preconceived notions about what it would take for "victory" in Iraq. Dumbya routinely bypasses the military chain-of-command (remember Admiral Fallon? What about Chief of Staff Casey?) when he wants to hear what he wants to hear. In this week's hearings, Congress should have insisted on a panel of Pentagon officials - - including the Joint Chiefs - - to assess the damage the extended war in Iraq is doing to our military readiness.
