But great Caesar’s ghost, only the bull goose right wing lunatics at National Review Online could believe that “the Iraqis independently massed 30,000 troops” in Basra. The Iraqi forces couldn’t take a successful potty break without direct supervision of their American advisers. They couldn’t possibly have conducted an operation of that size without planning and logistic support from Petraeus’s people from the get go. That means Petraeus knew about it all along, and that means Defense Secretary Robert Gates and young Mr. Bush and Lord Cheney knew about it too.

Now we all know that Maliki got his can kicked from Baghdad to eternity and back. Well, all of us except the Bush administration’s favorite former chief bull plucker. While guest hosting Bill O’Reilly’s Radio Factor on April 4, Tony Snowoffered his uniquely styled interpretation of how and why al-Sadr had proposed a truce: “What happened was the bad guys backed down because they were getting crushed!”

Crushed? My very God! Do you reckon that Tony Snow creature is internally conflicted or what?

It’s going to be like Buffalo Bill and the Indians rode into town when Petraeus and Crocker take the stand on Capitol Hill this week. Kids at Christmas got nothing on me. I cannot wait. Word on the street is that Petraeus will revive the meme that says our presence in Iraq constitutes a proxy war with Iran.

Brother. Remember when our proxy wars were with superpowers?

"So we can play war" "Populated by outrageous characters and fueled with pompous outrage, Huber’s irreverent broadside will pummel the funny bone of anyone who’s served." — Publishers Weekly

"A remarkably accomplished book, striking just the right balance between ridicule and insight." — Booklist

View the trailer here.