Well, I have always thought that the war was over and won by May of 2003. What we've faced then is a more dificult anti-terrorist campaign of counter-insurgency with a few moments of hard battle (Fallujah, Nov 2004).
I compare what's going on now to what the Israelis have been facing for decades. Do we say they failed, or they've lost? Of course not! But the bombings and terrorism will not stop completely. Will it abait? That's what these recent campaigns and the surge are all about.
Why the DBM can't get behind THAT goal is shamefull. For them, it's all about getting democrats elected. Power in their fellow traveller's hands is far more important than the lives of a few Iraqis and GI saps.
There is no doubt that the enemy understands that any chance of victory rests with American public opinion. They have no possibility of a military victory. Setting unrealistic expectations and false metrics [number of bombings, US casualties, etc.] are just tricks used by the MSM to influence US support for the war in Iraq, the “war of choice.” The Administation has done a poor job of fighting the media war.