memeorandum: Reporting to Congress — Mr. Chairmen, Ranking Members … (David Petraeus/Real Clear Politics)

8:35 PM ET, September 10, 2007

Top Items:

Frank James / The Swamp:

Petraeus 'Betray Us' ad is group's 'shock and awe' — MoveOn.org was looking to get attention and so they have with their full-page New York Times ad in which they slam Gen. David Petraeus, rhyming his name with "betray us." It's the liberal group's version of shock and awe.

Deacon / Power Line:

MOVEON.ORG HITS THE BOTTOM — General Petraeus is now testifying before the House, providing his assessment of the situation in Iraq and making recommendations as to how to proceed. Here is his written testimony. — This morning, the leftist group Moveon.org ran an ad in the New York Times …

Discussion: CNN, National Review, The Mahablog, Weekly Standard, Comments From Left Field, Say Anything, Heading Right, HazZzMat, The Caucus and Gateway Pundit

CNN Political Ticker:

Kerry: MoveOn.org is 'over the top' — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, criticized MoveOn.org Monday for taking an ad out in The New York Times criticizing Gen. David Petraeus. The general is testifying before Congress today about the situation in Iraq.

Discussion: Wake up America

Gaius / Blue Crab Boulevard:
"Until This Moment, Senator, I Think I Never Gauged Your Cruelty …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Macsmind, The American Mind and The Hill

CNN Political Ticker:
Thompson calls on Democrats to return MoveOn.org donations

Discussion: Wake up America and Say Anything

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
With Enemies Like This, General Petraeus Gets New Friends

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Col. Joe Repya: The Assault on General David Petraeus

Discussion: Redstate

Think Progress:

Petraeus Falsely Claims That Six Months Ago, 'No One Would Have Forecast' Anbar's Success — Today in his testimony to the House, Gen. David Petraeus cited the reduced violence in the Anbar province as evidence that President Bush's "surge" is working. He added that it would be "premature" …

Discussion: unbossed.com, AMERICAblog, Crooks and Liars, TPMmuckraker, Talking Points Memo, ePluribus Media Community and TalkLeft

David Stout / New York Times:

Slow Progress Being Made in Iraq, Petraeus Tells Congress — Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American military commander in Iraq, told Congress this afternoon that the United States by next summer should be able to reduce its troop strength there to about 130,000, or what it was before the recent increase.

Discussion: The Van Der Galiën Gazette, The Swamp, MoJoBlog, The Politico, DownWithTyranny!, Washington Post, CNN Political Ticker, Comments From Left Field and PoliBlog (TM)

Austin Bay Blog:

Initial thoughts on Petraeus-Crocker testimony — After three hours of testimony — at times grueling testimony — I've some initial reactions. (As it is, I have to get ready to give a speech this evening.) — My first thought is MoveOn.org lost this political battle — the chumps went an …

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Instapundit.com and Wake up America

Nicole Belle / Crooks and Liars:
The Iraq War Report: Rep. Lantos "We can not take ANY of this …

Discussion: The Gavel and Firedoglake

Ilan Goldenberg / democracyarsenal.org:
New Thread: Petraeus's Testimony Fact Check

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, CANNONFIRE, Shakespeare's Sister, The Gavel, Ezra Klein and Taylor Marsh

Washington Post:
Petraeus Says Objectives in Iraq Are Largely Being Met

Discussion: CFR.org, MoJoBlog, Outside The Beltway, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE and PoliBlog (TM)

The Washington Post / The Trail:

Anti-Thompson Site Connects to Romney Camp — A top adviser to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney appears to be behind today's launch of a new Web site attacking GOP presidential rival Fred Thompson. — The site, www.phoneyfred.org, paints an unflattering picture of Thompson …

Discussion: race42008.com and The American Mind

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Thompson wants 'due process' for Bin Laden — Fred Thompson said today in South Carolina that Osama bin Laden should be granted "due process." — Speaking to reporters in Greenville, Thompson said the leader of Al Qaeda "needs to be located and killed." — But, according to the AP …

Brian Ross Reports / The Blotter:
Second Bin Laden Tape Expected

Jim Davenport / Associated Press:
Thompson: Due process for bin Laden

Discussion: Hot Air, The Carpetbagger Report, Stop The ACLU and Daily Pundit

Think Progress:

REPORT: Petraeus Spent At Least 17 Days In August Flacking For Bush's Escalation — The Washington Post reported this weekend that the White House political office and Gen. David Petraeus' unit have been "hard-wired" together, working jointly to "map out ways of selling the surge."

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
No More Flack for Iraq

Discussion: Eschaton, Salon, Open Left and DownWithTyranny!

CNN Political Ticker:
Dems join GOP in slamming ad attacking Petraeus

Discussion: Gallup Poll, Hot Air, TPMCafe blogs, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Weekly Standard and WorkingForChange

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:

PETRAEUS'S DRAWDOWN....This slide from Gen. David Paraeus's testimony today is a work of art, isn't it? It looks like some kind of timeline for withdrawal, but all it actually says is that we'll withdraw five brigades by next July, something we already know is driven not by strategic considerations …

Discussion: New York Times

John Cole / Balloon Juice:
Look At All the Pretty Colors

Discussion: Washington Monthly and TPMmuckraker

David Petraeus / Real Clear Politics:

Reporting to Congress — Mr. Chairmen, Ranking Members, Members of the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to provide my assessment of the security situation in Iraq and to discuss the recommendations I recently provided to my chain of command for the way forward.

Kathryn Jean Lopez / The Corner: A Quick Guide to Key Petraeus Points (Excerpts)

The Sun:

Plans to ban plasma TV's — THE Conservatives will propose banning plasma screens and other energy-guzzling electrical goods in a report to be unveiled next week. — The proposals target white goods like fridges and freezers, as well as TVs, personal computers and DVD players that use too much energy or operate on stand-by.

Discussion: Cato-at-liberty and Dean's World

The Atlantic Online:

Hope: The New Plan — Check out this briefing slide from General Petraeus' presentation: — Basically, the idea is that about nine months from now, we'll be back to the number of troops we had in Iraq about nine months ago. After that, more stuff is supposed to change . . . maybe …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Open Left

Bob Owens / Pajamas Media:

ARMY CHECKMATES THE NEW REPUBLIC — Last month Pajamas Media published an in-depth report on the scandal surrounding the "Baghdad Diarist" articles by Scott Thomas Beauchamp in The New Republic. — Now PJM's Bob Owens interviews Major John Cross, who led the U.S. Army's investigation into Private Beauchamp's shocking claims.