GOPers rally around Petraeus

Amid the hype surrounding Army General David Petraeus' testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, two Kentucky Republicans offered their support to the oft-maligned Commanding General of troops in Iraq.
On Monday, in anticipation of the testimony, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell's campaign posted a virtual "thank you" card to Petraeus on its blog. The card references attacks made by MoveOn.Org against Petraeus after earlier Congressional testimony:

This week General David Petraeus will report to Congress on the recent progress in Iraq. When General Petraeus testified six months ago, he was the victim of personal and vicious attacks by ultra-liberal groups. MoveOn.org took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling General Petraeus a traitor. The truth is most Americans do not approve of MoveOn.org’s actions, nor do they support MoveOn’s radical positions on many issues. So this time as he testifies before Congress, we want General Petraeus and the troops he leads to know we stand with them.

A posting on the McConnell blog yesterday claims over 10,000 people from around the country digitally "signed" the card.

Following Petraeus' testimony today, 1st District Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-Hopkinsville) referenced Petraeus' praise of the "surge" in Iraq and called for Congress to let troops "complete their mission."

"General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker told Congress that the surge has in fact yielded significant security gains in many of Iraq’s most tumultuous regions," read a statement from Whitfield. "It is unfortunate, but true, that our mission in Iraq is not yet finished. The security gains brought on as a result of the surge can just as easily be lost should Congress fail to give our commanders and troops the authority and tools they need to complete their mission. There is no question that the road ahead will be difficult, but withdrawal could be catastrophic for Iraq, the Middle East and the world."

Whitfield acknowledged mounting costs related to the war across the nation and in Kentucky, and called on the Iraqi people to escalate efforts to stabilize their country.

"I do, however, share the same frustrations over the war as many Americans. More than 4,000 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives, billions of dollars have been spent and military families across the country have had to bear the burden of living day to day without their loved ones for over five years. Thousands of Kentucky’s own soldiers from Ft. Campbell are now on their third, and even fourth, deployment to Iraq," Whitfield continued in the statement. "It is incumbent upon the Iraqi people to make more steadfast political progress in order to create a more peaceful Middle East worthy of the sacrifices of our soldiers and their families."