Gee, Reality Is Different Away From My Desk

One of the things that keeps my chin up in the face of constant defeatism about Iraq is that everyone who is actually over there (and stepping outside of their living quarters) is optimistic. The blogosphere has been taking notice of Brian Williams' reporting from Iraq the past few days. He's basically changed his tune since seeing for himself

"They do not want us to leave. They want to see the police come through," says U.S. Army Col. John Charlton.
"The people here are very glad to see us — very hesitant for us to go. They want us to stay and to keep beating down the insurgents," U.S. Army Lt. Col. Charles Ferry says.
Brian Williams (to Col. Charlton): You just said, “They don't want us to leave.” That's the 10th time today I've heard that. I've got to go back to the States and do a newscast that every night has another politician or 12 of them saying, “We have got to get out of that godforsaken place.”
"They can talk about policy, OK, and that's what they have to do back there," says Odierno. "My mission right now is to provide protection for the Iraqi people so this government can grow."

And Williams rather gave it to Chris Matthews on Hardball later, too. Read up on his reports here. There is an inverse proportion among the chattering classes between gloom and anxiety about Iraq and time actually spent there.

Related: Michael Yon's back in Iraq. Check in with him regularly.