NP: John Cage, 4'33"

The Democrats have never had the votes to "end the war" as some of their constituents wanted them to, so the long view is that it's always been about peeling off some of the opposition. That, too, couldn't happen overnight, and while it may be tough to stomach political maneuvering while soldiers are getting killed, you might be able to cast the "no compromises" approach that Harry Reid caught flak for earlier as some sort of principled stand that would make his current overtures look more conciliatory and perhaps more likely to be received and acted upon.

There's a better than average chance that this attempt to dictate the conventional wisdom (i.e., the surge is making progress, putting the Dems on their heels) could be a dangerous gambit that totally backfires for the White House, as Reid and company actually find enough votes to make something happen.