Troop Surge Already Under Way  —  90 Advance Troops from 82nd Airborne Arrive in Baghdad  —  President Bush's speech may be scheduled for tonight, but the troop surge in Iraq is already under way.  —  ABC News has learned that the "surge" Bush is expected to announce in a prime time speech tonight has already begun.

The President's New Iraq Strategy Is Rooted In Six Fundamental Elements:  — Create space for political progress;  — Diversify political and economic efforts; and  — Iraq Could Not Be Graver - The War On Terror Cannot Be Won If We Fail In Iraq.  Our enemies throughout the Middle East are trying to defeat us in Iraq.

Promising Troops Where They Aren't Really Wanted  —  As President Bush challenges public opinion at home by committing more American troops, he is confronted by a paradox: an Iraqi government that does not really want them.  —  The Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki …

Iraq PM cracks down in Shiite militiamen  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's prime minister has told Shiite militiamen to surrender their weapons or face an all-out assault, part of a commitment U.S. President George W. Bush outlined to bring violence under control with a more aggressive Iraqi Army and 21,500 additional American troops.

A Crisis of Confidence  —  Bush's way forward may be sensible.  But his face showed fear—and that's no way to rally a war-weary nation.  —  George W. Bush spoke with all the confidence of a perp in a police lineup.  I first interviewed the guy in 1987 and began covering his political rise in 1993 …

Bush's surge speech; Update: Hillary opposes surge; Update: House Dems scramble to block surge funds  —  Here are the highlights.  "It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny.  And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed."

Olbermann: A Look Backward at the Commander's Credibility  —  Keith Olberman reviews the lack of credibility that has permeated the Commander in Chief on Iraq.  —  Download (5770) |  Play (4763) Download (2289) |  Play (3283) … Transcripts below the fold

Bush Speech Live Blog  —  I will live-blog the President's speech, which starts as 8 pm CT, at this link.  —  7:32 PM CT - I will appear on CHQR's The World Tonight with Rob Breakenridge at 8:40 pm CT.  We'll be discussing the speech and its implications.