YOU’D NEVER KNOW that the Republicans lost the 2006 elections: “There are now 162,000 American troops in Iraq, the most ever.” The military part is going well.

Corruption, as noted here repeatedly, remains Iraq’s single biggest problem, and one that’s hard to address with troops.

UPDATE: Somewhat related thoughts, from Jules Crittenden.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Indeed: “The great lie from the anti-war side is that people like me don’t recognize the difficulty — or inherent tenuousness — of what it is we’ve been trying to accomplish in Iraq. But why else do these comfortable defeatists and inveterate contrarians think some of us have devoted so much time and energy to beating back their attempts to undermine the effort?”