What Matters More to Republicans?

George Will wrote a complete nothingburger column about Iraq and the Petreus report due next month. The upshot is simply that both political factions, pro- and anti-war, feel very strongly about their positions despite the last minute shifting around by some Democrats, and furthermore it's unlikely that the General's much-anticipated assessment will settle anything with certainty.

Thanks, George, for that resoundingly clever insight. I hope you didn't stay up late to submit that column before deadline. In other news, markets are volatile and fatty foods cause health problems.

My observation about the Petreus/Irag/Backpeddling-Democrats issue is simply that the Republicans should ask themselves - what matters more? Do you want political payback, and the pleasure of beating up on Democrats who might be changing their tune now that the momentum in the Iraq conflict has started to shift? Or can you let it go? Because for years Republicans have suggested that everyone should support the troops, and the goal should be not simply withdrawal, but success.

Now that people are starting, however slightly, to be on the same bus - let's win some ground, eradicate the truly bad guys, and secure some stability - it seems unnecessary to try and convert this immediately into a political score, reminding everyone that the Democrats are universally a bunch of wrongheaded defeatniks.

If we really start winning without qualification, I could see cranking out a few snarky campaign commercials next year against the worst offenders, such as Harry "We Already Lost" Reid. But meanwhile, and at least in during this time of uncertainty, the correct, default assumption (and the talking points) should always be that most members of each political party, extremists wings aside, honestly want what's best for America, even if we disagree very forcefully on the means they suggest for attaining those goals.

Some sort of understated comment will suffice, along the lines of "I'm glad [insert the name of backpeddling Democrat] and I agree on the renewed success of the U.S. military." Everyone who is paying attention will get the obvious, implied subtext.