Well, this will get people to forget about his $400 Beverly Hills haircuts…

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards told Michigan Democrats Saturday night that the United States must quickly get out of Iraq, which he called a “bleeding sore.”

“America needs to be leaving Iraq, this is very, very simple,” said Edwards, a 53-year-old former U.S. senator from North Carolina, making his second bid for the White House.

Edwards was the keynote speaker at the Michigan Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner. More than 2,000 Democrats packed a ballroom at Detroit’s Cobo Center. They each paid $150. The proceeds go to the state party.

Edwards said that the war has already cost this country more than $500 billion. He also said President Bush’s plan to increase troop levels won’t work.

“We have had multiple surges, none of them worked,” he said.

First, Harry. Now, Silky. The Middle Eastern media sends its thanks and praise.

Meanwhile, the president tries to counter the defeatists:

President Bush said Friday that sectarian murders have dropped by half in Baghdad since the U.S.-Iraqi military buildup began in February, rejecting a Democratic leader’s claim that the war is lost. The president said early signs show the operation to quell violence is meeting expectations.

“There are still horrific attacks in Iraq, such as the bombings in Baghdad on Wednesday, but the direction of the fight is beginning to shift,” Bush said in his second speech on terrorism in two days…

…Bush urged Americans not to be swayed by the violence inflicted by suicide bombers and focus, instead, on incremental gains Iraqi and U.S. forces are making day by day, block by block in Baghdad. Weapons stockpiles are being seized, extremists are being captured and displaced families are returning home, he said.

“When a family decides to stop depending on militias to protect them or a young man rejects insurgency and joins the Iraqi army, it doesn’t usually make the evening news,” Bush said…

…ushing back against Democrats, Bush said that not all the troops that he ordered in January in a military buildup have arrived. It’s too early to assume defeat, he said.

“Ultimately, withdrawal would increase the probability that American troops would have to return to Iraq _ and confront an enemy that is even more dangerous,” Bush said.

Mohammed at Iraq the Model has a powerful message for the media and the surrender lobby:

It’s frustrating to see the media turn a blind eye to the nature of the crimes and open fire on an honest endeavor to restore peace to a bleeding nation. I’m sure the terrorists are pleased by the coverage. Why not, when their crimes are being portrayed as successful breakthroughs against the efforts of Iraq and America it’s likely motivating them to keep up the killing.

Would it be “hate speech” to expose the terrorists for what they are?

I think our hate for their crimes must not be hidden; there is no shame in hating those blood-thirsty monsters.

Even more appalling I see and hear some people who think the solution is to end the war from our end and I can’t find an argument more naïve than this—I’ve seen enough wars in my life that I can’t remember a day when there was peace and I hate wars more than they can imagine. But we didn’t start his war; it’s the terrorists who started this war against life.

Instead of telling us to stop fighting back, I’d like to see some people stand up and protest the crimes of the terrorists and tell them to stop the killing and destruction…turn the stop-the-war campaign against the terrorists, is that too much to ask for?

Tell the criminals to stop killing us and stop attacking the people who are risking their lives fighting for liberty and equality.

We’re not asking the media and the stop-the-war crowd to carry arms and shoot the terrorists; we just want them to stop shooting at us.