From Holden:

All bow down to Hesiod for creating the most accurate catchphrase to describe Iraq. Your preznit keeps saying we are making progress there, and yesterday his spokesboy called those who say we aren’t making progress in Iraq “pessimists and hand-wringers” (I suppose he’s talking about Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel).

In actuality, Condi read the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq to Georgie way back in July, which painted a different picture:

A classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for President Bush in late July spells out a dark assessment of prospects for Iraq, government officials said Wednesday.

The estimate outlines three possibilities for Iraq through the end of 2005, with the worst case being developments that could lead to civil war, the officials said. The most favorable outcome described is an Iraq whose stability would remain tenuous in political, economic and security terms.