You're right about the Guard. They, and the rest of the U.S. military, are the most combat-experienced force in the world right now including Israel. The American military has always proved--even in Vietnam--that given enough time and resources it can adapt to solve the problems it faces and achieve military victory. All the negativism here does not correlate with the general expression of hope and optimism you hear from the troops and the generals in Iraq. Rumsfeld said that if the war is lost it will be in Washington D.C. and not in Iraq.
Spot on Brad. The quagmire is in DC, not Iraq.
I was struck by Abizaid saying that he felt hopeful when in Iraq talking to the Generals there. It was in DC that he felt despair about this conflict.