Remember when...

Nearly two years ago the media and the lefty blogosphere were hooting over John McCain's claim that a recent visit of his to a Baghdad market was proof that security had improved in Iraq's capitol city.

'Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told CNN that that President Bush’s escalation in Iraq is going so well, “General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed humvee.” On Monday, he told radio host Bill Bennett that there “are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today.”

This morning, during an interview with McCain, CNN’s John Roberts rebutted McCain’s assertions, stating, “I checked with General Petraeus’s people overnight and they said he never goes out in anything less than an up-armored humvee.” He added that a new report by retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey “said no Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat reporter could walk the streets of Baghdad without heavily armed protection.”'

The message of course:  Security has not improved, will not improve.  That message was officially blessed a couple of weeks later when Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Harry Reid said the war was lost.  Lefty reporters and bloggers were positively giddy over McCain's comments.

That was two years ago.  A few days ago an Iraqi student posted this:

'I finished my exams last Wednesday; the teachers brought very hard questions, but did fine. I was planning to have 2 lectures everyday during the midyear holiday, but my grandparents, and everyone urged me to take a break, relax and spend the holiday in Baghdad, after I thought about it, I decided to take their advice, and have a break, I rally deserve one after 9 months of continuous studying so that I don't get bored later.

So in the first day of my holiday I traveled to Baghdad, the road was really good except the two hours we stopped before we reach Baghdad because of the crowded road as the cars must be inspected before we reach Baghdad gate..

I am having a pleasant time here, Baghdad is much safer than mosul, we can go out, wear what we love without fear, walk and enjoy the warm weather, I love Baghdad and I wish I can stay here forever!'

My, how things have changed.  Iraqis went to the polls yesterday to vote in their provincial elections.  It's hardly what you would call big news, though.

Comments

[CaptDMO]

This is why I prefer the web to get an inkling of the other side of "You want to do WHAT with my tax dollars...?". Sure, it takes looking around and extrapolation, but in the long run, it suits my intellectual curiosity better than "Officially" edited reports of dog and pony production "guided tour" junkets, and scripted "opinion" from folks that can only serve the puppet masters of their egos from the the comfort of the non-consequential and de facto anonymity in the big tent of "popular" media.