A new report will be critical of the Iraqi PM. You think?

Blackfive has this post on the soldiers' op-ed in the Sunday NYT. Here is another view.

The President says a "Free Iraq" is within reach, if we don't cut and run. The NYT questions his reading of history.

George Will believes the September report expected from General Petraeus will not change any partisan minds in Washington. I believe he is right.

Mike Dukakis has a plan for the Democrats in '08. It's not a bad plan. Meanwhile, both national party committees have lost control over the nominating process. If they are ever to get it back, they must recognize on important fact, which is that the delegate selection process is no longer seen as important. State legislatures now recognize that the national media spotlight afforded to the early primary and caucus states is far more important than the number of delegates sent to a national convention that, by the time it is held, decides nothing of importance. That is the fact which is driving the rush to front-load primaries. If the RNC and DNC wish to stop this process, then they must begin to sanction states that jump outside their guidelines by the denial of all delegates. In fact, each party's governing body should set up an exact calendar, ordering each state party to hold it's delegate selection process on particular dates and asserting that any process held outside those guidelines are simply "beauty contests" that have no bearing on the number of delegates selected for each candidate. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to take all state involvement out of the picture by holding delegate selection caucuses, rather than primaries, thereby eliminating the state election apparatus from what is supposed to be a party function. Undemocratic? Perhaps. But not chaotic, which is the situation as it stands today.