Looking at progress through plain lens glasses

In a piece timely to the discussion we've been having here on the surge, the WaPo ask the experts to assess the early signs of progress. The points they make underscore my problems with the strategy.

Violence is down in Baghdad but rising outside of the city.

Bush claims the Iraqis delivered three brigades but they actually delivered two and one battalion.

Yes, the Iraqi government agreed on a framework to distribute oil revenues but can't agree on the details, which will take at least several more months of negotitations.

Bush says we rounded up 700 insurgents but that includes 600 that we already had in custody since last July.

Meanwhile, there were almost 200 civilian deaths in two days this week and we lost nine soldiers. As I recall, the average a few months ago was about 40 civilian and 2 US deaths a day. I'm sorry but I can't call that progress encouraging and I might also note that Bush would serve the American people better if he started plunking down some plain facts instead of continuing to promote the same faded rose-colored propaganda.