Hard is not Hopeless

General David Petraeus in his Senate testimony today made the obvious point that I've made here and elsewhere far less eloquently. From his response to questioning from Senator Kennedy:

Sen. Edward Kennedy asked him why an extra 21,500 would make a significant difference. Petraeus replied that the important factor was how extra troops are used, not their numbers. Their main focus, he said, will be on securing the civilian population of the capital rather than killing insurgents..."

The Senator from Massachusetts makes a good stand-in for all who profess their lack of understanding on why and how the surge can--though not guaranteed to--work in Baghdad.

Aside from that obvious point, Petraeus also made it clear that from his view of things, the day is not lost:

"The situation in Iraq is dire. The stakes are high. There are no easy choices. The way ahead will be very hard. ... But hard is not hopeless," he said...

A point that, sadly, Congress doesn't get.