Murtha: “I think the ’surge’ is working”
From yesterday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Murtha finds military progress in trip to Iraq
Warns that Iraqis must do more for their own security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week, but he warned that Iraqis need to play a larger role in providing their own security and the Bush administration still must develop an exit strategy.
“I think the ’surge’ is working,” the Democrat said in a video conference from his Johnstown office, describing the president’s decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year. But the Iraqis “have got to take care of themselves.”
This is glimpse of how the democrats plan to adjust their party’s position on the war in Iraq.
Up until now, they’ve been advocating for, and are vested in, the defeat of U.S. forces in Iraq. The key to their strategy will be to shift the blame away from the Bush administration to Iraqi’s and the Iraqi Government while acknowledging the military progress. (This is largely because Bush is not on the ballot in 2008 and the Iraq war will not be one of the election’s defining issues.)
The democrats may also attempt to claim some of the credit for the progress in Iraq by suggesting their constant pressure on the Bush administration forced a change in tactics. It’s no surprise Representative Murtha is publicly admitting the surge has made progress since he had previously lead the charge that the war was lost.
UPDATE: Allahpundit is all over this at HotAir.com.