Orrin Hatch: “we live in a cynical age where the truth is often discarded because it does not meet the goals of an election campaign…”

“we live in a cynical age where the truth is often discarded because it does not meet the goals of an election campaign strategy or it is not what the core constituencies of certain political movements wish to hear. One does not need to look any further to prove this point than the media's portrayal of General Petraeus's testimony before Congress this week. Lost in the coverage were the hard facts and the veracity of the personal assessments of a remarkable leader. He has spent years in Iraq, first, as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the initial race to Baghdad and then as the officer in charge of training the Iraqi Army. This was followed by his authorship of the ``Army- Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Manual'' that was used as the basis for our current strategy, and now in his role as the commander of Multi- National Forces--Iraq. This man deserves the plaudits and credit from all of us. Think about it. How many of us would spend years away from our wives, our families. The sacrifices of our men and women over there is remarkable. This man is one of the most remarkable. So let us lay aside the rhetoric and learn the truth outlined by this seasoned commander. Here are General Petraeus's own words: As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the surge are, in large measure, being met.…”