Also:

-The Pentagon lost track of 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols in Iraq that have now likely ended up in the hands of US enemies.

-The Pentagon lost $15 Billion dollars and have never been held accountable for getting that money back to the American taxpayers.

But this is just junky business by the US Army.

I agree that Patraeus is a shill. But he's a simple smokescreen for the real issue.

The military is only "tactica." Take that hill? Sure, they can do that. Kick that other army's ass? Done.

But once you have some semblance of stability, then you bring in Condi Rice and the State Department for the *strategic* planning of preparing Iraq to be an independent nation and thus allowing our military to come home.

Ah...but there's too much money to be made in the Occupation of Iraq. Money paid for by the US Taxpayers.

So we never see Condi's name anywhere near Iraq. Like Palin to the Media, Condi's a bull in a china shop when it comes to strategic State Department efforts in Iraq.

Really, Rice is the original Palin - an incompetent yes-person shill for the administration.

Which, bringing us full-circle, is I guess the same as Patraeus. :)

Every time we hear from Patraeus, we should be demanding that Rice step up and explain our global position and what the US is doing to strategically prepare our next steps to ensure Iraq's democratic independence and that we bring our people home.