Harry Reid says that General Petraeus says the war is a lost cause!

Reid quotes Patraeus dishonestly, Patraeaus has said "the war can not be won militarily", he is saying something with which everyone agrees. Obviously the war must be fought on several fronts, with military force, diplomatic pressure, economic aid, etc. Military force alone is not enough, but it must be an essential component of any strategy that aims for victory. Reid is attempting to conflate Patreaus's "the war can not be won militarily" with his own claim "the war is lost" as if he and Patraeus were saying the same thing. It is so transparently dishonest it makes me want to puke. Really can't see how anyone can fail to recognize he has decided to put the good of the Democratic party ahead of the good of the nation. Our enemies have taken heart. When asked about the 18 or 19 year olds who are potentially making the supreme sacrifice, his response is disgraceful and beneath contempt.

THE SITUATION ROOM

interview With Harry Reid
Aired April 23, 2007 - 17:00 ET

BASH: Arlen Specter, a Republican, but somebody who, in many ways, is like you, a critic of the president's Iraq policy. He said this. He said: "For men and women who are over in Iraq to have somebody of Senator Reid's stature say that the war is lost, it is just very, very demoralizing and not necessary."

Is there something to that, an 18- and 19-year-old person in the service in Iraq who is serving, risking their lives, in some cases losing their life, hearing somebody like you back in Washington saying that they're fighting for a lost cause?

REID: General Petraeus has told them that.

BASH: How has he said that?

REID: He said the war can't be won militarily. He said that. I mean he said it. He's the commander on the ground there.

BASH: But, sir, there's a difference...

REID: Are they critical of him?

BASH: ... between that and saying the war is lost, don't you think?

REID: Well, I -- as I said, maybe it's a choice of words. I mean General Petraeus has said the war cannot be won militarily.

Doesn't every soldier going there know that he's said that?

I think so.

BASH: You talked several times about General Petraeus. You know that he is here in town. He was at the White House today, sitting with the president in the Oval Office and the president said that he wants to make it clear that Washington should not be telling him, General Petraeus, a commander on the ground in Iraq, what to do, particularly, the president was talking about Democrats in Congress.

He also said that General Petraeus is going to come to the Hill and make it clear to you that there is progress going on in Iraq, that the so-called surge is working. Will you believe him when he says that?

REID: No, I don't believe him, because it's not happening. All you have to do is look at the facts.

Here it is on YouTube