Demagogue

Matthew Yglesias calls his website "a reality-based blog." One wonders why such a stipulation is necessary -- until, that is, one reads the transcript from White House press briefings. Press Secretary Scott McClellan was at it again today, using the word "progress" 9 times to describe the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Like Yglesias and most other people, the Foreign Policy Leadership Council also believes in being reality-based. On its website, FPLC offers this information vis-a-vis the "progress" cited by McClellan:

Misperception No. 1: Violence has declined since the U.S. handed power to an Iraqi government in June 2004.

Reality: The number of American fatalities has increased every month since the June 28, 2004 transfer of sovereignty.

* Daily fatalities have increased more than 20%.

* The numbers of daily attacks against American troops have increased more than 50%. U.S. troops in Iraq are attacked an average 70 times a day.

* There are now wide areas of the Iraq known as “no-go zones” because they are too dangerous for even heavily armed U.S. troops.