For the last 6 months GOP have done nothing but hide behind Gen Petraeus instead of defending GWB's Iraq Nationbuilding policy on their own. It allows them to avoid having to deal with any issue of what the real goals of this nationbuilding are and how or if THEY not Gen Petraeus thinks they could actually accomplish them. The only way we can stop this is to either
1: Find an issue that can be a wedge issue between Gen Petraeus and the GOPs
2. Change the debate to an issue where Gen Petraeus's views might not be that relevant.
Once again, I feel the issue of how we are paying for this War and the lack of sacrifice made by it's proponents, is the magic bullet solution to this as it is almost everything related to this Iraq profiteering, nationbuilding war. GOPs keep making the bogus claim that DEMs are "tying the hands of the Holy Saint General Petraeus and the troops". If Dems in congress ask him if he would support a tax increase to pay for the cost of the Iraq Nationbuilding, I'm sure he'll start by say he has no influence on tax policy. Eventually of course, a more pointed question will clearly get him to say it wouldn't affect him either way. GOPs of course will never support this because the remaining dwindling support for the war rests on the fact that it's supporters don't have to make any sacrifices for it. If we change that and pass like a I've said repeatedly, a repeal of the last round of Bush's income tax cuts for JUST THE TOP TAX BRACKET, the support from Bush's self identified "My base" will clearly disappear almost completely. If GOPs criticize this, then of course we could hide behind Holy Saint Gen Petraeus too.