Because all that other stuff Bush was saying was just fluff to keep staying in Iraq. Besides the fact that the White House is writing the report, CBS News says that the report will also recommend drawing down *some* of the troops. Gee, that ought to keep the rubes hpapy, eh? Same game around election time that's been played since the start of the war. And I say again, some of the Democrats also play this same game, proving that you can fool some of the people ALL of the time.

Sneak Peak At Petraeus's September Report

Wait 'till September, wait 'till September, wait 'till September. Republicans spent much of the summer begging other lawmakers and the American public to reserve judgment on the troop surge until Gen. David Petraeus presented his September report.

But for those who can't wait, there's a report in the Los Angeles Times this morning attempting an educated guess at what the September report might say.

According to unnamed officials interviewed by the paper, Gen. David Petreus is expected to propose a "partial pullback" in his September report which would authorize U.S. commanders to withdraw troops "from places that have become less violent."

This might mean withdrawing from Ninveveh province in northern Iraq and Al Anbar in the west, according to unnamed officials, but it "does not necessarily follow that Petraeus would call for reducing the overall number of troops in the country."