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Here's a time line of the Democrat's worst nightmare--the unthinkable success that Democrats struggled to prevent--the success of the Surge.

From their own mouths, words of the anti-Bush haters in the House and Senate who led the cacophony against the Surge, posted by Peter Wehner at The Weekly Standard and on Yahoo News.

With today's internet, there's not a quote or hateful remark by any of these cut 'n run Democrat leaders that can't be pulled up for scrutiny. As Bill puts it, let them eat crow.

Since Barack Obama is 'leading' (snicker) the Democrats now, let's begin with him.

October 22, 2006, Senator Barack Obama catches wind of the Surge...

"It is clear at this point that we cannot, through putting in more troops or maintaining the presence that we have, expect that somehow the situation is going to improve, and we have to do something significant to break the pattern that we've been in right now." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 10/22/06)

January 7, 2007, just days before the Surge was announced...

Senator Joseph Biden...

"I’m going to try it after the hearings. Here—there’s three things I’m going to try to do, Tim. Speak out as loudly as I can as to why I think repeating this mistake—we’ve tried it twice before—why it will not work, and why we need a political solution first, not a military solution. Secondly, I’m going to be holding extensive hearings as chairman, incoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee for the next four weeks, bringing in experts from every, every perspective to talk about what options are remaining in Iraq. And thirdly, I have, I’ve, I’ve drafted a resolution of disapproval that is just hortatory, it’s a—to send to the Senate to try to convince the president that there are significant numbers and members of the United States Senate who think this proposal is a mistake, and hopefully force him to reconsider it. Because every two months he’s going to have to reconsider this, every two months. It’s not just surging once and that’s it. He’s not surging for a year. Every two months he’s going to have to decide, “Do I continue to extend the tours of duties of those who are there? Do I bring more people in?” And hopefully make the case to him that this is a mistake."

January 10, 2007, President Bush announces the Surge.

Senator Obama...

"I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq are going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse." (MSNBC's "Response To The President's Speech On Iraq," 1/10/07)

Senator Hillary Clinton...

"Based on the president's speech tonight, I cannot support his proposed escalation of the war in Iraq.

"The President’s Iraq policy has been marred by incompetence and arrogance as his Administration has refused to recognize the military and political reality on the ground. American troops continue to serve and sacrifice in Iraq, performing magnificently and bravely. But as our commanders have said repeatedly, Iraq requires a political solution, not a purely military one, and we did not hear such a proposed solution tonight.

"The President simply has not gotten the message sent loudly and clearly by the American people, that we desperately need a new course. The President has not offered a new direction, instead he will continue to take us down the wrong road – only faster. The President’s speech failed to adequately address the political situation in Iraq, rising sectarian violence, mounting strain on our military, growing Iranian influence, and festering divides over how to distribute oil revenues.

"As I have said, as the American people have demanded, and as the facts on the ground require, we need a new course and an end to the current failed policy. I continue to urge a strategy that places pressure on the Iraqi government to resolve the political crisis through phased redeployment of U.S. troops, establishes an Iraqi Oil Trust to end the stalemate over oil, and pursues an aggressive diplomatic strategy including an international conference of the regional parties to further the task of Iraq’s stability."

Senator John Edwards...

"George Bush's expected decision to adopt the McCain Doctrine and escalate the war in Iraq is a grave mistake.

"The new Congress must intercede to stop Bush from stubbornly sticking to the same failed course in Iraq and refuse to authorize funding for an escalation of troops. They should make it clear to the President that he will not get any money to put more of our troops in harm's way until he provides a plan to turn responsibility of Iraq over to the Iraqi people and to ultimately leave Iraq. George Bush wants to dig a deeper hole, but we need to climb out"

Senator John Kerry...

“This plan is neither new nor forward looking. This is more of what’s taken us backwards. There’s no military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution, and the President has no plan to achieve it. We’re caught in a civil war in Iraq. Escalation is not the answer. The best answer is to set a deadline to bring our heroes home, force Iraqis to stand up for Iraq, and get Iraq’s neighbors to start taking more responsibility for Iraq’s security.”

January 11, 2007

Senator Boxer while grilling Condoleezza Rice...

"Who pays the price?" Boxer repeatedly demanded. "You're not going to pay a particular price," she told Rice, because the secretary has no "immediate family" at risk.

Senator Chris Dodd

A "fool's paradise,"

Senator Joe Biden

"A tragic mistake,"

January 17, 2007

Senator Obama...

[the surge strategy would]"not prove to be one that changes the dynamics significantly."

January 23, 2007 President Bush's State of the Union Speech

Senator Obama...

I don't think the president's strategy is going to work. We went through two weeks of hearings on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; experts from across the spectrum--military and civilian, conservative and liberal--expressed great skepticism about it. My suggestion to the president has been that the only way we're going to change the dynamic in Iraq and start seeing political commendation is actually if we create a system of phased redeployment. And, frankly, the president, I think, has not been willing to consider that option, not because it's not militarily sound but because he continues to cling to the belief that somehow military solutions are going to lead to victory in Iraq.

February 2007

Senator Russ Feingold (from his Diary at the Daily KOS)

"When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee took up the Biden-Hagel resolution opposing the President’s troop escalation proposal last week, I supported it as a first step toward ending our involvement in this war. That resolution didn’t go nearly far enough – it was nonbinding and just focused on the escalation – but putting the Senate on record against the "surge" was a small step in the right direction."

Senator John Kerry...

"The simple fact is that sending in over 20,000 additional troops isn't the answer--in fact, it's a tragic mistake. It won't end the violence; it won't provide security;  .  .  .  it won't turn back the clock and avoid the civil war that is already underway; it won't deter terrorists, who have a completely different agenda; it won't rein in the militias."

Senator Ted Kennedy...

[declared that any troop increase would be] "an immense new mistake."

Representative Dennis Kucinich (Speaking to plans to send 3000 additional troops to Afghanistan)

"It has been proven time and time again that troop surges don't work."

April 2007

Senate majority leader Harry Reid...

[declared the Iraq war] "lost" [and insisted] "This surge is not accomplishing anything."

Senator Christopher Dodd...

"We don't need a surge of troops in Iraq--we need a surge of diplomacy and politics. Every knowledgeable person who has examined the Iraq situation for the past several years--Baker and Hamilton, senior military officials, junior officers--has drawn the same conclusion--there is no military solution in Iraq. To insist upon a surge is wrong."

July 2007

Senator Obama...

[after evidence was amassing that the surge was working] "My assessment is that the surge has not worked."

Representative Murtha...

"Well it's delusional to say the least," Murtha told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "As I said earlier, and you heard me say it, it's a failed policy wrapped in illusion. Nothing's gotten better. Incidents have increased. We have had more Americans killed in the last four months than any other period during the war."

(But to Murtha's credit, he did say, in November 2007, that the surge was working, creating much consternation amongst the Democrats. ""This could be a real headache for us," said one top House Democratic aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Pelosi is going to be furious."

September 2007

Senator Dick Durbin

"By carefully manipulating the statistics, the Bush-Petraeus report will try to persuade us that violence in Iraq is decreasing and thus the surge is working. Even if the figures were right, the conclusion is wrong."

October 2007

Representative David Obey

[asked if the surge strategy was working, offered the view that if violence is decreasing in Iraq, it may be because insurgents ] "are running out of people to kill."

February 2008

Nancy Pelosi

[was asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer about the success of the surge in Iraq. ] "Are you not worried, though, that all the gains that have been achieved over the past year might be lost?"

"There haven't been gains, Wolf," "The gains have not produced the desired effect, which is the reconciliation of Iraq. This is a failure. This is a failure."

March 2008

Senator Tom Harkin...

"On this fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we have reached an extraordinary juncture. The so-called surge has failed to achieve its stated objective, which was to facilitate reconciliation within the Iraqi government. While our brave American troops have performed brilliantly, the Iraqi government, time and again, has failed to take the kinds of actions that will foster national unity. Meanwhile, we have received a series of objective, authoritative reports documenting that the Iraqi government, Army, and police are dysfunctional and riddled with sectarianism and corruption. "

"In other words, the President’s stay the course policy in Iraq has brought us more of the same. The same violence. The same dysfunction. The same failure.

“Enough is enough. The only true way forward in Iraq is to redeploy U.S. forces. Only then will Iraqi leaders have the incentive to resolve their differences and take responsibility for their own future. And by redeploying our troops to strategic locations elsewhere in the Middle East, we will be able to pursue a more effective strategy in that critical part of the world.”

June 2008

Governor Bill Richardson

[when asked if he was ready to concede that John McCain had been right in proposing the surge because it seemed to be having a positive impact]
"Absolutely not."

Ahhh, I just love it when a plan falls apart, don't you?

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