Fox News' performance is deplorable, and typical, but unsurprising. And, I think, not terribly influential with Congress.

Compare Fox's take with a majority of the opinion pieces this morning, and there can be some hope that legislators have been largely unswayed by yesterday's performance. Take a look at George Will's piece, for example. There is quite strong condemnation of the president's Iraq Occupation coming from a pretty good political spectrum--mediawise.

The question in my mind this morning is: will Congress dither and falter and pick some falsely "moderate" course (ref. Biddle) which leaves tens of thousands of troops in Iraq, achieves absolutely nothing except allowing congress not to have to make a decision.

"Whether this specific interview ends up being influential or not is a different point. The point is that this is how our media functions in general..."

Media dysfunction/malfunction is clearly your point, as it so often is. It is a fundamental point. But the reader may recognize other points as well. Especially at times in which important decisions are being made, or could be made, in Congress. There should be no restriction in our points in comments, so long as they are germane.

I don't think there's any doubt that Congress will not enact any bill which forces the president to withdraw troops from Iraq or limit his troop deployment powers in any way. The best that can be hoped for is that they pass a non-binding bill, with more benchmarks, suggesting but not requiring that there be a draw-down.

My opinion of Congress may not be quite as low as yours appears to be. But hang on, I may catch up with you. I'm working on it.

I guess I'm on the other side of the fence on part of this issue. Glen seems convinced already of what the Congress will do. In the bits of yesterday's hearing I was able to see, I saw a lot of real anger and opposition in the senate to the D&P show. I do not see the foregone conclusion that Glen and Buchannan and most others see.

re: the moveon thing--I don't like the "betray us" label on the message, but I am glad that moveon is out there swinging away on this issue.

Personally speaking, I believe that this country has got to take the military off of its pedestal. This worship of the military is unhealthy for our country and needs to stop. It may be that treatments like moveon's will bring this issue into the light a bit.

do you have a link for that story on the origin of "betray-us"?

WASHINGTON, Sep 12 (IPS) - In sharp contrast to the lionisation of Gen. David Petraeus by members of the U.S. Congress during his testimony this week, Petraeus's superior, Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM), derided Petraeus as a sycophant during their first meeting in Baghdad last March, according to Pentagon sources familiar with reports of the meeting.

Fallon told Petraeus that he considered him to be "an ass-kissing little chickenshit" and added, "I hate people like that", the sources say. That remark reportedly came after Petraeus began the meeting by making remarks that Fallon interpreted as trying to ingratiate himself with a superior.

Link at name below. Sources are third party, the article isn't solid, but offered fwiw.

also fwiw, I believe Webb asked Armed Svcs. Committee to get Fallon in for testimony.

In Bush's closing remarks:

To Iraq’s neighbors who seek peace: The violent extremists who target Iraq are also targeting you. The best way to secure your interests and protect your own people is to stand with the people of Iraq. That means using your economic and diplomatic leverage to strengthen the government in Baghdad. And it means the efforts by Iran and Syria to undermine that government must end.

US is now building a base very close to the Iranian border to interdict alleged weapons coming across. If Congress does nothing now to get out of Iraq, does nothing to restrict the President's authority to act against Iran, they will be totally equal partners in the horrors that will follow.

Protesting Bush and neocons will have absolutely no effect. In fact, if you buy the thesis of Glen's book, it helps to entrench them further in their established views.

I don't see protests targeting media as a good strategy for multiple reasons. It is more effective, imo, to go after media in the way GG and others do.

However, I do see protests having some impact on elected democrats. Especially when it is their base protesting them.

fwiw

Sign me up, and I want to work on a plank with you. I don't like "USA Leadership". It's just too damn haughty.

I like us minding our own business. I like a foreign policy based on cultural exchanges involving New Orleans Jazz, Kentucky Bluegrass, Memphis Blues, and Basketball. (blueberries also, if bebop insists).

I'll bet you that a foreign policy based on american music and basketball would have our international standing back up to stellar heights in no time.

Haven't read comments yet, but am surprised there is no consideration of how leave-length would effect troop levels. There are troops serving now in Iraq that are on 15-month tours, and get 7-month leave. Maybe less. By ensuring mandatory leave-length to at least equal length of tour, troop levels in Iraq, possibly Afghanistan, would have to drop. Perhaps substantially.

I suspect that this is the actual reason why the big, happy Kagan family is against the Webb amendment. Another point, fwiw, I believe the Webb amendment has come up previously, and was blocked in the senate. I seem to remember a vote on this, but can't remember if it was a cloture vote or an actual up-down vote...

"By the way, one reason we have today's brutal deployment schedule is that everyone, but primarily Democrats, cut the US military almost by 50% with the fall of the Soviet Union."

Unbelievable.

RMP, I'll gladly defer to you on that.