And Yon hit the panic button pre-surge stating that we were losing the war, and were doomed to lose it if nothing changed. So he's not a relentless cheerleader sort.
It was an astonishment to me that John McCain only said "the surge worked, you were wrong" to Barack Obama during the debates. He should have said: "The surge worked, and thanks to the strategy I advocated and you opposed, we'll most likely have the bulk of our fighting forces out of Iraq well ahead of your timetable -- and in noble victory, rather than catastrophic defeat. So for those of you who want this war to end, I have only two words: You're welcome."
Okay, not the last part. That's kind of a David Spade thing.