Two setbacks for the anti-war movement

It has been another nice weekend on the home front. Our troops should know that thanks to their hard won victories, Americans are beginning to see the light.

Firstly, NBC reversed their decision to not allow this ad to air.

Secondly, a key early critic of the Iraq War has changed his mind. Major General John Batiste, a member of the infamous antiwar group VoteVets.org (a front group for MoveOn.org), has now decided that he was wrong. He writes an op-ed in today's Washington Post with Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom:

First, the United States must be successful in the fight against worldwide Islamic extremism. We have seen this ruthless enemy firsthand, and its global ambitions are undeniable. This struggle, the Long War, will probably take decades to prosecute. Failure is not an option.

Second, whether or not we like it, Iraq is central to that fight. We cannot walk away from our strategic interests in the region. Iraq cannot become a staging ground for Islamic extremism or be dominated by other powers in the region, such as Iran and Syria. A premature or precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, without the requisite stability and security, is likely to cause the violence there -- which has decreased substantially but is still present -- to cascade into an even larger humanitarian crisis.

Third, the counterinsurgency campaign led by Gen. David Petraeus is the correct approach in Iraq. It is showing promise of success and, if continued, will provide the Iraqi government the opportunities it desperately needs to stabilize its country.

This follows up the recent begrudging admissions from Democrat Congressmen John Murtha and Earl Pomeroy that the surge is working.

2007 has certainly been a better year than 2006.

Hat tip: Rob at SayAnything , Drudgereport, and the Weekly Standard