About that "significant progress"

The White House, hoping to instill confidence, keeps repeating the same misleading phrase.

By Steve Benen

Published April 10, 2008 6:59PM (EDT)

This morning, speaking from the White House, the president boasted, "American and Iraqi forces have made significant progress" in Iraq. It got me thinking, haven't we heard that phrase before in relation to the war?

  • White House press secretary Scott McClellan on Oct. 27, 2003: "In the north and south [of Iraq], we have made significant progress."

  • President Bush on Nov. 13, 2004: "Fighting together, our forces [in Iraq] have made significant progress in the last several days."

  • President Bush on June 28, 2005: "In the past year, we have made significant progress [in Iraq]."

  • Vice President Cheney on Oct. 19, 2006: "We've made significant progress [in Iraq]."

  • President Bush on Feb. 23, 2007: "I think we have made significant progress in Iraq."

    Indeed, it's a phrase the White House has used to describe events in Iraq several hundred times over the past five years. I can't imagine why anyone would be skeptical about the claim now.


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