Progress, Progress And More Progress

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IBD has another great story. This time it's about the war.

Winning: News from Iraq gets better by the day, but the media have done their best to downplay the turnaround and congressional Democrats have basically pulled the covers over their heads and pretended it doesn't exist.

There's an eery silence out there about what's going on in Iraq. It's almost as if the silence is, well, intentional. Here are just a few examples of what we're talking about, pulled from last week's developments:

• In Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, British Major Gen. Graham Binns said that attacks against British and American forces have plunged 90% since the start of September.

• Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reported that terrorist attacks of all kinds are down almost 80% from last year's peak — thanks directly to the U.S. surge of 30,000 new troops.

• Amid growing signs that even Iraq extremists have tired of terrorism and killing, a Sunni religious group closed down the high-profile Muslim Scholars Association because of its ties to terrorists.

The author lists other landmark achievements, and then continues:

Stranger still is the Democratic Party's response, as reflected in its recent actions in Congress. We expected a certain amount of sheepishness on their part. After all, wasn't it just Sept. 11 that Hillary Clinton told Gen. David Petraeus his progress report on Iraq required "a willing suspension of disbelief"? What we didn't expect was all the self-delusion and denial that now seems to mark Congressional Democrats' efforts on Iraq.

The Democrats are denying our troops the funds they need to finish their job by playing games like Friday's, when they tried to tie $50 billion in funding to massive troop withdrawals, beginning almost immediately.

But the question remains: Why would they do such a thing in a war America is on the verge of winning?

If the Democrats want to keep playing politics as Iraq turns, fine. But what do they do next year if, as now looks likely, the U.S. wins?

The Dems are a wreck. Their political games with the war will cost them politically. Further, as the war continues to go our way, they will appear increasingly worse unless they change their tune. What is the big problem with all the progress we and the Iraqis are making? Let's rejoice--not ignore or search endlessly for the negative.

On a personal note, my brother called from Iraq yesterday and reported that many things are better. Among other things, he mentioned many new shops have opened recently along major roads in his Baghdad district. It isn't like life in the suburbs, but it's clearly better from when he put his boots on the ground about 11 months ago.

Why don't we give our soldiers, generals, and president well-deserved praise? They've busted their humps for this mission and have earned our respect and admiration! Thanks, Danny, and the rest of you!