and that they were willing to give Petraeus until August. He told them there will be real progress by August. They have told him at a caucus meeting as very, very recently, that if there isn’t progress by August — and real progress means not a day of violence and a day of sanity — that they will pull the plug.

This revelation is so stunning it needs to be broken out piece by piece.

1. Republican Senators met alone with Gen. Petraeus. Is it common for commanders to meet with separately with a Congressional minority? Or is this just another example of the GOP putting raw partisan politics ahead of national security?

2. Republican Senators micromanaged Gen. Petraeus. Isn't this one of the absolute unbreakable Republican rules, practically handed down to Moses with the Ten Commandments - that politicians should never micromanage commanders?

3. Republican Senators set a deadline for Iraq. How many times have Bushco shrieked that a deadline guarantees the humiliating defeat of our forces and the victory of terrorists? Why do Republican Senators hate America and love the terrorists?

4. What exactly do Republicans mean when they say "pull the plug"? The Supplemental Appropriations bills approved by Democrats in the House and Senate both call for phased withdrawals over the next 12-18 months. Would Senate Republicans support a Democratic plan, or would they offer a plan to leave Iraq even sooner?

5. Given this Republican betrayal, why did Bush repeatedly attack Democrats in his weekly radio address? Is he unaware his fellow Republicans are planning to "pull the plug" on Iraq?

These would be excellent questions for the White House Press Corpse to ask Dana Peroxide, dontcha think?

Update 1: A reader says Congressional Democrats should be furious that Gen. Petraeus privately briefed Senate Republicans. Did Democrats in the Senate and/or House get briefed as well, given that both are in the Majority??? Did Bush send Gen. Petraeus' predecessors to brief Senate and/or House Democrats when we were in the minority as Republicans are now? These scenarios are possible, but if they did not happen then Congressional Democrats should be screaming about private military briefings for minority Republicans only.

Update 2: A reader says Joe Klein disputed Andrea Mitchell's claim. That's true, so who should we believe, since neither one is "unimpeachable"? Let me apply some primitive "lie detector" techniques:

Mitchell is insistent - she defends herself in real time by saying "excuse me" when Klein interrupts and by shaking her head no. Points to Mitchell.

Mitchell calmly repeats herself later, adding the detail "very, very recently." Points to Mitchell.

Mitchell was burned badly during Scootergate when she casually made false claims on TV. It looks to me like she learned from her experience this time and chose her words carefully and made sure she had facts to back them up. Points to Mitchell.

Finally, how would Klein know if this meeting did not take place? Mitchell works for a different news organization and has different sources. How would Klein know about every meeting that does or does not take place? He speaks with such certainty one might think he speaks directly to Karl Rove each day. (Hmm, maybe he does...) Points to Mitchell.