GENERAL DAVID BETRAYUS PREPARES TO KICK OFF HIS 2012 PRESIDENTIAL RUN AS THE CANDIDATE OF THE PARTY OF PERPETUAL WAR

After widespread reports that Bush Regime propagandists would write BetrayUs' surge report-- even admitted by Regime spokesmen-- a newly released poll shows that 39% of Americans believe the report BetrayUs reads next week will reflect his honest feelings about the occupation and Bush's escalation. 35% are sure the report will be a reflection of Bush's and Cheney's mindset and not BetrayUs'.

But is there any reason to think that BetrayUs, every inch a right-wing political hack, regardless of his competence or incompetence as a general-- there is evidence of both views-- has a view any different from the Republican party line? This morning's NY Times seems to dispel any illusions of daylight between BetrayUs and, say, Cheney or any other Neocon extremist.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, has told President Bush that he wants to maintain heightened troop levels in Iraq well into next year to reduce the risk of military setbacks, but could accept the pullback of roughly 4,000 troops beginning in January, in part to assuage critics in Congress, according to senior administration and military officials.

General Petraeus’s view is considered overly cautious by some other senior military officials and some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials said. But they said it reflected his concern that the security gains made so far in Baghdad, Anbar Province and other areas were fragile and easily reversed.

I don't believe any of this. I believe that the Bush Regime is motivated by matters unrelated to anything other than profit and narrow partisan gain. They may not be brilliant but they're not so stupid that they can't see that there will be strengthened Democratic majorities in the House and Senate and a Democratic president elected 14 months from now. At this point they are working to set up "a stab in the back" situation so that it looks like Bush was "winning" the war and the Democrats betrayed the gallant, victorious troops, setting up a presidential contest in 2012 between Hillary and BetrayUs.

And above and beyond normal Americans not believing the wishful thinking and misleading lies spewing forth from the Regime, members of Congress are also aware that they're full of Mitt. Yesterday, Speaker Pelosi's website, The Gavel, released a statement that summarizes the consensus forming about the propaganda coming out of the White House. Pelosi's main point: "The White House is entitled to their opinion, but they are not entitled to their own facts." She lays out the unbiased facts, the ones no one should expect to hear from Bush, Cheney or BetrayUs.

Paul Krugman's column today says something no one is allowed to say about someone in uniform, especially if it's a uniform with lots of medals pinned to it-- even if the criticism is the unvarnished truth. "Gen. David Petraeus has a history of making overoptimistic assessments of progress in Iraq that happen to be convenient for his political masters." The veracity of that statement can't be disputed-- but who would have the guts to say it out loud?

With more and more members of Congress asserting that Petraeus and his staff have been hoodwinking weak-minded and easily-impressed Greed Zone visitors-- basically all the Republicans plus fools like Brian Baird-- it is expected that next week he'll count on his uniform and status to keep members of Congress from challenging his lies and dissembling.

He’ll assert that the surge has reduced violence in Iraq-- as long as you don’t count Sunnis killed by Sunnis, Shiites killed by Shiites, Iraqis killed by car bombs and people shot in the front of the head.

Here’s what I’m afraid will happen: Democrats will look at Gen. Petraeus’s uniform and medals and fall into their usual cringe. They won’t ask hard questions out of fear that someone might accuse them of attacking the military. After the testimony, they’ll desperately try to get Republicans to agree to a resolution that politely asks President Bush to maybe, possibly, withdraw some troops, if he feels like it.

UPDATE: BBC SURVEY SHOWS MOST PEOPLE, WORLDWIDE, WANT U.S. OUT OF IRAQ

Most Americans want the U.S. to get our troops out of Iraq either immediately or within a year. The Bush Regime thinks it will be "at least" a decade. Most people around the world favor the U.S. getting out by greater numbers than Americans do. (Only Australians tend to be dedicated to perpetual war.)