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The surge is working, so sayeth the latest NIE.

Or at least, that's what the White House says it says. Unfortunately, since the White House refuses to declassify it, they're just expecting us to take their word for it (and we all know how well that's worked out for us in the past). The Congressional Democrats have issued a strongly worded letter to express their dissatisfaction. (Ironically, Russ Feingold has issued a strongly worded letter to the Congressional Democrats, asking to think for once about not enabling Bush's plan).

Rachel Maddow, doing a fantastic job of subbing for Keith Olbermann on Friday's Countdown (c'mon MSNBC, get with the program already--Rachel did better on her first appearance than Joe Scarborough, David Gregory and Tucker Carlson in all their appearances put together) speaks to VoteVets Jon Soltz about the politicization and incomplete picture of what's happening in Iraq that the White House is trying to paint in preparation for Gen. Petraeus's testimony next week.