This post has been updated

No, that's not a typo. The senate majority leader with the vast military background, labeled Marine Gen. Peter Pace "incompetent" and reportedly made "similar disparaging remarks" about Army Gen. David Petraeus -- the man that the Senate, including Reid, unanimously confirmed less than six months ago.

Though the fifth and final additional combat brigade has barely set its feet in Iraq, Reid nonetheless called the troop surge a failure. Of course, Reid was calling it a failure before it ever happened.

In comments that were reported on television, but not in any print reporting that I can locate, Reid said that Petraeus didn't know what he was talking about when he said the surge was improving conditions in Baghdad. Reid acknowledged that Petraeus had actually been to Iraq while he, Reid, had not. Yet, Reid assured reporters that he had the truth of what was going on.

Reid and the Democrat Party -- which no longer technically includes Joe Lieberman -- have bet the future of their party on U.S. forces losing in Iraq. If you were going to bet the future of your party, I'd at least hope that you'd bet it on a U.S. victory, but not the Dems.

If the surge succeeds, and if President Bush and the military can overcome the media's predisposition to reporting mainly the bombings and terrorist attacks that will undoubtedly continue even as overall conditions improve, then it's a success for all of America -- except the Democrats.

UPDATE

Instapundit reports on the fact that Reid's comments were made during a conference call with liberal bloggers -- none of whom found the statement newsworthy enough to report on it.

I suspect that the lefty bloggers found calling a 4-star general "incompetent" was praise considering the vitriol they usually have for the military.

I also liked this comment from Reid:

But Reid, whose comments to bloggers first appeared in The Politico, also told reporters: "I think we should just drop it."

Yeah, I bet Trent Lott said much the same thing when he was being slammed for some foolish praise of Sen. Strom Thurmond. I suspect Reid has more pull with the Washington press corps -- so he may actually get his wish.