Iraq to US: "Go! Go! Go!"

Much to speak of today, but we cannot ignore this. The right-wing blogs and the U.S. military insist that only about 5,000-7,000 protestors in Najaf, Iraq, showed up a couple of days ago to demand the ouster of American troops.

Instapundit links to Gateway Pundit and calls the protest “a weak turnout.” RedState uses the photo to claim the “outcome was underwhelming.” Weekly Standard downplays the turnout and says it is evidence that “the Coalition has regained the initiative.”

"Weak turnout," eh? "Regained the initiative," eh? Here's the overhead shot:

And here we have a good view of one of the streets leading to the main square. Like the war itself, it just kinda seems to go on forever...

This piece reminds us of a little-recalled Washington Post story from 2004 -- "Powell: If asked, U.S. will leave Iraq":

Secretary of State Colin Powell emphatically said yesterday that if the incoming Iraqi interim government ordered the departure of foreign troops after June 30, they would pack up without protest, but emphasized he doubted such a request would be made.

All doubt was removed in June of 2006, when Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called for

A timetable for withdrawal of occupation troops from Iraq. Amnesty for all insurgents who attacked U.S. and Iraqi military targets. Release of all security detainees from U.S. and Iraqi prisons. Compensation for victims of coalition military operations.

So why are we still there? 90% of the Iraqi people want us gone, according to the polls. And the photographic evidence presented above is just as telling as the right-wing's willingness to lie about it.

Despite their illimitable lucre and formidable media manipulation skills, Conservatives are losing the American people, because the chasm separating their preferred "reality" and real reality has grown too wide. If you point at a hippo and say "That's a condor," people won't listen to anything else you have to say.