The Good Soldier

A McClatchy report on soldiers chosen to have lunch with Senator Joseph Lieberman in Baghdad:

... Spc. Will Hedin, 21, of Chester, Conn., thought about what he was going to say.

"We're not making any progress," Hedin said, as he recalled a comrade who was shot by a sniper last week. "It just seems like we drive around and wait to get shot at."

But as he waited two chairs down from where Lieberman would sit, Hedin said he'd never voice his true feelings to the senator.

"I think I'd be a private if I did," he joked. "It's just more troops, more targets."

Looks like the boots-on-the-ground are getting the clear message that candor is not appreciated when discussing the military situation with civilian leaders. Fortunately, President Bush assures that he is getting accurate assessments of the Surge's "progress".

Update: Interesting that these soldiers will give the media unvarnished views. Whom can we conclude the military views as the problem? The "Liberal Media"? You get two guesses.