I know, General Patreaus on the first day of his report to Congress COULDN'T back talk, but wouldn't it have been sweet to see it? You'll recall all the sound clips of these Power Whore Windbags on the hill lecturing the General and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Patreaus and Crocker arrive to give a report that, we all know, is not going to be a rosy "rah rah" speech, but is going to show that progress is being made. The Democrats and other haters can't have any of that.
The biggest windbag was Democrat Tom Lantos of CA.
"The fact remains, gentlemen, that the administration has sent you here today to convince the members of these two committees and the Congress that victory is at hand. With all due respect to you, I must say: I don't buy it."
Lantos, you don't WANT to buy it. That's the problem. To begin with, even the leaks regarding the substance of the report never hinted that the two were going to report that "victory" was "at hand". But if we persist, its very possible. That's what Lantos doesn't want. He doesn't want victory, anything that can be remotely credited as a success for George W. Bush. Which is where the Power Whores in the Democratic Party are today. Undermine the country - just make sure you take Bush down with it. Pathetic.
Here's what I would have loved to have heard from Patreaus (which is contempt and insubordination that a class act like Patreaus will not stoop to - but I would).
"Congressman, if my testimony isn't going to change your mind, no matter how empirical and convincing, then why are you wasting my time by having me come up here and report? Is it simply because you want to bloviate and grandstand for the kooks who you represent? Fact of the matter is, Congressman, you don't want to win. Because you want to destroy a sitting president. And to acknowledge my empirical evidence that victory is possible would undermine your personal political career. That's why you have me here, despite your mind being made up."
