No, it's not "fine." The surge isn't working, the Sadr cease-fire is. The best that could be said for the surge is that it happened to come along when the cease-fire dramatically reduced violence, and I'm sure the extra troops helped. But the surge was not the cause for the drop in violence.

It is strange that a few days ago, when Sadr extended the cease fire, the stories reporting on it correctly identified it as being the reason for the drop in violence--but once people forget about the cease-fire news, suddenly the surge is responsible for it all.

Whatever the reality in Iraq, it is irrelevant to the perception & spin. Like religion, the belief is not amenable to reason so all the evidence in the world to the contrary may be assembled but when a mind (sic!) is made up, facts do not disturb.
The incoming Dem (if it is to be) will be left to deal with a far worse situation, in the entire ME in general and Iraq specifically, the the present artificial calm/ceasefire.

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