Michael Crowley at the Plank:

WHAT PETRAEUS MEANS FOR DEMOCRATS:
In a press conference after a meeting with George W. Bush today, Democratic leaders talked tough about the Iraq war. But one aggressive reporter, who didn’t identify himself, asked Nancy Pelosi a quite pointed question: Given that it now appears likely that US troop levels will be roughly unchanged since she took power in January, hasn’t the Democratic Congress “been a failure”? Pelosi was understandably taken aback. But she didn’t have much to counter with. She conceded that the prediction about troop levels may prove correct, while insisting that Democrats have “changed the debate” over Iraq and will “hold the president accountable” (whatever that means) for his policies. Fine. Given that “make-or-break” September seems to be turning into status-quo September, however, Pelosi will no doubt he hearing that question over and over in the months to come–not least from MoveOn.org.