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I'm so tired of so many in the MSM following the Republican talking point that the surged "worked." This meme has taken the situation in Iraq and twisted them it a pretzel - a point well understood by Obama, as evidenced by his recent interview with Brian Williams. A number of analysts have pointed out that many factors have led to the decrease in violence. Rachel Maddow recently pointed out on her show and on MSNBC, that the Iraqis themselves stated four factors, none of which included the surge. In addition, a while ago Obama was pointing out that the previous level of violence was so high, that perhaps we shouldn't be using that as a benchmark. In addition, Maddow also pointed out how the Bush Administration cleverly brought the conversation away from the desire of the American people to bring our troops home, to the surge. Which, of course, obscures the fact that the surge was an effort to compensate for disastrous decision-making beforehand. And finally, as many others including Maddow have pointed out, the point of the surge was political reconciliation. Since that has not occurred, the surge is, in fact, a colossal failure. That is what the MSM should be reporting.
And while they're at it, they should also stop calling it the Iraq "war." It is an occupation. Wars are won. Occupations are ended. By taking on the Republicans' frame, the MSM is making it easier for Bush to postpone bringing the troops home.
