Mush Posted by Max Bergmann

I think that pretty much summed up the testimony of Pe-Crock yesterday, as well as the questioning from administration supporters like McCain and Graham. Chris Matthews actually hit the nail on the head when he said "he got nothing out of it." This was echoed by Michael Ware who described the hearing as a "waste of oxygen." If you were looking for answers, looking for direction from Pe-Crock you got none.  Last year we were told that the "surge" was a strategic shift to give the Iraqis breathing space to reconcile. Even if you deem the surge a success - now that it is clearly ending as we draw down to pre-surge levels - the question becomes what is the new strategy? That I think is a reasonable question to ask - and all we get is that 'we can't make projections into the future'...But isn't that what strategic thinking is all about. In fact I looked it up. Strategy - "the art of devising or employing plans...toward a goal." So what are those plans? And as Obama pointed out what is the goal?

Actually they admit that they have no idea what to do now. How else can you describe their call for a "pause" to reassess.