Petraeus' Iraq Report Likely to Show Mixed Picture

Chris Matthews Show today is reporting that the Petraeus report in September will likely be written not by the General or his staff, but by the White House. They also suggested that the Bush gang hand intended to keep Petraeus from testifying publicly before Congress. After The Washington Post came out with the story the White House backtracked ("damage control")and insisted he would. The administration wants to muffle the general(a White House "filter"):

A September report on the U.S. troop build-up in Iraq is expected to show a mixed picture of military progress but shortcomings on political reconciliation, triggering a new debate over whether a pullout is warranted.

The report due by September 15 from the commanding U.S. general in Iraq, David Petraeus, is widely anticipated as a make-or-break assessment of the impact of President George W. Bush's decision early this year to send thousands more troops into Baghdad and Anbar province to try to bring stability.

The Petraeus report won't come from the General:

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Petraeus and Crocker will testify publicly and privately to the U.S. Congress just prior to the release of their report, which will actually be written by White House officials.

As for the public, they don't buy this surge report nonsense:

A majority of Americans don't trust the upcoming report by the Army's top commander in Iraq on the progress of the war and even if they did, it wouldn't change their mind, according to a new poll.

They understand that is a ruse intended to deceive them. We do not trust Bush:

[...]according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday, 53 percent of people polled said they suspect that the military assessment of the situation will try to make it sound better than it actually is. Forty-three percent said they do trust the report.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said he doesn't think the mistrust is directed at Petreaus as much as it is what he represents.

Our minds are made up. Report, or no report:

The poll indicates that most of America's mind is made up about the war -- 72 percent said the report will have no effect on their view of the war.