The Highlight Reel

As I vaguely expected, the senators were a bit harder on General Petraeus than those denizens of the so-called "people's House," but not a whole lot. Some senators used their question time to present prepared statements, not allowing Petraeus or Crocker to speak at all. However, that may have been just as well, as Dana Milbank reports, instead of offering any new information or even phrasing, Petraeus simply reread the same opening statement he offered to the House yesterday. But when he did come up with something new, we got a few interesting tidbits.

The biggest news, which pretty much every other progressive blog is commenting on as well, is probably that Petraeus apparently isn't much of a big picture man. When John Warner, the retiring Republican senator from Virginia, asked whether what we're doing in Iraq is making America safer, the general responded with more candor than he probably intended. "Sir, I don't know, actually." He explained that because he's so focused on the situation in Iraq, he hasn't taken the time to consider a bigger picture. When the opportunity arose during Indiana senator Evan Bayh's question period, Petraeus retracted that statement, essentially saying, "Wait a minute, I meant yes, America is safer."

There was more clarification, as well. The withdrawal ending the surge that Petraeus has been talking up actually has nothing to do with whether or not the surge is successful but will be the result of the surge troops' deployment terms ending. Their tours are up and we don't have enough personnel to replace them, so instant drawdown!

John McCain tried to shoot down the argument that recent success in Anbar province has nothing to do with the surge. After Petraeus talked around the question a little bit, McCain bluntly asked, "Could it have happened without the surge?" To which Petraeus replied, "It would not have happened as quickly without the surge." In other words, yes.

Not content with only two hot wars, Joe Lieberman tried to gin up support for an attack on Iran, too, suggesting the general might like the authority to cross the border to attack insurgent training camps. Petraeus, perhaps feeling that he's in far enough over his head already, responded, "Sir, I think that really the Multi-National Force-Iraq should just focus on Iraq and that any kinds of operations outside the borders of Iraq would rightly be overseen by the Central Command, the regional combatant command." Thankfully, Lieberman's time ran out before he could elaborate on his point further.

My opinion from yesterday hasn't changed. Petraeus and the administration did what they needed to. Although there will still be dissension, enough legislators will stand by the Prez, especially now that there's looking to be a troop drawdown, regardless of the reason for it.

By the way, you can take a look at the transcript if you want to scroll through and looking for the quotes I cited.