David Herszenhorn reported from Washington Thursday on the Democrats' latest attempt to withdraw troops from Iraq in "House [1]Approves Funds For Military, With Strings [1]."
"The bill was approved by 218 to 203, with 4 Republicans joining 214 Democrats in favor in a vote just before 10 p.m."
He didn't mention that while four Republicans did vote for the bill, 15 Democrats voted against it.
"The debate over war financing also provided a forum for Republicans to praise recent developments in Iraq, including what they called a decline in violence."
What does Herszenhorn mean by what Republicans "called" a decline in violence? It's not as if the figures [2]are in doubt [2].
As a National Review editorial [3]today [3]elucidated:
"In the Democrats' version of events, mortar and rocket attacks are not at their lowest level in nearly two years, and half the level of October 2006; car bombs and roadside bombs in Baghdad are not down more than 70 percent from before the surge; civilians deaths didn't fall below 900 in October, down from nearly 2,000 in January; enemy attacks haven't dropped for four straight months; the number of Coalition troops killed in action hasn't fallen over the same months, to the lowest level since February 2004."