No wonder Reps are willing to debate the Democrat surrender plan when the surge has already cut US casualties by 60%:

The rate of killings of US troops in Iraq has been on the decline, down by 60 percent, since the launch of the new security measures in Baghdad, according to statistics revealed by the Multi-National Force -Iraq Combined Press Information Centre.

Only 17 members of the US military in Iraq have been killed since February 14 till March 13, compared to 42 from January 13 to February 13; the rate was on the decline during the first month of the security crackdown, compared to a month before.

Two of the 17 soldiers died at US Baghdad camps of non-combat causes.

The remarkable decrease in killings among the US troops came at a time when more of these troops were deployed in the Iraqi capital, especially in districts previously regarded as extremely hazardous for them such as Al-Sadr City, Al-Azamiyah, and Al-Doura.

We are going into more dangerous areas and staying there and the death rate is still dropping like a rock. So now the Dems must argue it would be better to lose more Americans and stop the surge effort??? We are about to get a serious indication of how deranged the BDS driven liberals in Congress truly are. If they try and say the surge is wrong then they are saying saving US lives in harms way is wrong. And they are going to have to admit publically Bush was right to re-organize and shift tactics if this trend holds. Everyone MUST cheer efforts that save American lives – unless they are obsessed to the point of mental instability.

Update: Much more here on the impact of the surge (which is still not at its peak strength) on violence.

Civilian deaths and car bombs have fallen sharply in Baghdad since a US-backed crackdown began a month ago, but attacks outside the capital were rising as militants change tactics, Iraqi officials said today.

In an upbeat assessment of the first 30 days of the security plan, Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier Qassim Moussawi said the number of Iraqis killed by violence in Baghdad since February 14th was 265, down from 1,440 killed in the previous month.

The number of car bombings, a favourite weapon used by suspected Sunni Arab militants fighting the Shia-led government, was down to 36 from 56.

But as thousands of US and Iraqi troops flow into the capital, attacks in the area surrounding Baghdad have increased, Mr Moussawi said, without providing specific figures.

Baghdad is getting calmer, Anbar violence is coming up a bit, but when fully active Anbar and Baghdad will be the focus of the surge. The two areas represent a whopping 80% of the violence and instability in Iraq.