There is just nothing but bad news coming out of Iraq.

``I have not seen any improvement really in the year I've been here in that regard,'' said Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, the commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq. He said the Iraqi army is doing ``pretty well'' in fighting the insurgency alongside U.S. troops, but they are not getting sufficient support from Baghdad.

Two independent assessments of the situation in Iraq already have been previewed this week - the latest finding that Iraq's national police are so corrupt and influenced by sectarianism that the corps should be scrapped and replaced with a smaller force.

But since none of these reports were from General Petraeus Bush will not give them any credibility. No mater how many brilliant men come out with reports saying that things in Iraq are in hand basket trundling down the pathway to hell, this President will refuse to acknowledge them.

How can anybody doubt that the reputation of Petraeus is being sacrificed to give the Bush administration cover to do whatever they damn well want to do.

How can a man who has been working his way up the ranks in the military since 1974 allow himself to be used as a pawn in a power struggle between the Republicans and the Democrats? I mean does he not realize that his entire career will be reduced to this one report in the history books? Nobody will give a fuck what he did before this. Does anybody remember Lt. Colonel George Custer's successful campaigns? Yeah I didn't think so.