A summary of the Iraq study panel's report

You can view the report here (PDF format).

Most of what I've seen today has been Republicans attacking the report, and Democrats are having mixed reactions, but the majority are receiving it favorably.

Check out Tony Snow today CALLING A REPORTER "PARTISAN" FOR QUOTING DIRECTLY FROM THE REPORT! Amazing, he manages to ANSWER NOTHING, while pulling a page RIGHT from the GOP playbook: attack the media!!!

According to another AP article which appeared on the Boston Globe's website, some U.S. soldiers didn't see a short term withdrawal from Iraq coming:

"There's no way we're leaving in two years no matter what any recommendation says," Spc. Eisenhower Atuatasi, 26, of Westminster, Calif., said. He thought 2012 was more realistic.

Sgt. Christopher Wiacik, 28, of Lavonia, Mich., also was pessimistic.

"It's just a study group. It's not really going to affect the president. I don't see any major changes happening until presidential elections start," Wiacik said. "I think both sides will promise to get troops out and give timelines then, but not before."

"We've been here for 12 months now and there's been no progress," said Spc. Richard Johnson, 20, of Bridgeport, Conn., as he manned a machine gun on the rooftop of an outpost ringed by a shallow moat of sewage.

"It's like holding a child's hand. How long can you hold onto his hand before he does something on his own?" Johnson said. "How much longer do we have to get shot at or blown up?"

1st Lt. Gerard Dow said he agreed with the commission's assessment that the situation in Iraq was "grave and disappointing."

"In Iraq, we try to win the hearts and minds of population," said Dow, 32, of Chicago. "They want Americans out of here. They blame us for all their problems. They look at us as the terrorists and then they turn around and help the terrorists who are trying to kill us."

He went on to say that he was angry because US soldiers are dying trying to help people that DON'T WANT THEIR HELP. That from a US SOLDIER ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ, NOT ME, NOT THE DEMOCRATS, BUT A U.S. SOLDIER!

He also told the AP that soldiers in Iraq welcomed the confirmation of new Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who will replace Donald Rumsfeld:

"Yes, please! All of us want to change what we're doing because we're not doing very much," said Staff Sgt. Rony Theodore, 33, of Brooklyn, N.Y.

"We're just sitting around not making any progress. It's annoying. You're not motivated to help anybody," he said, adding his contract was up in 2008 and he did not plan to re-enlist.

"I don't want to live my life like this," he said.

Members of Congress reacted earlier today as well:

"The report is an acknowledgment that there will be no military solution in Iraq. It will require a political solution arrived at through sustained Iraqi and region-wide diplomacy and engagement," said Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE).

"If the president is serious about the need for change in Iraq, he will find Democrats ready to work with him in a bipartisan fashion to find a way to end the war as quickly as possible," incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

A quick look at the Virginia blogosphere showed that not many were talking about this. Vivian Paige gave it brief mention, and Rick Howell had a pretty good summary.

Although admittedly I have not read the entire report, maybe the reason some are neglecting to write about it is because it, in all honestly, really serves to do nothing more than confirm what most of us already knew. Again though, I have not read the whole thing, and would be interested to hear what other's think about it...