Ohio's Sen. Voinovich: Gets Bombed By Pentagon PR Machine

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A Voice of America story produced today by the government's official international news service quoted the Pentagon dissing the president's war-time critics from the Republican Party. Ohio U.S. Sen. George Voinovich is among those who is a GOP doubter. None were named in the VOA report, but they drew flak as amateurs who had no clue about military strategy

Today's statement seems a departure from the days when those who supported the White House were seen as the equals, at least, of Gen.'s Sherman and Grant.

Bryan Whitman was the Pentagon spokesman who "dismissed comments by a growing number of Republican members of Congress." Their concern: President George W. Bush's so-called surge is not delivering results on the ground, and Iraq strategy needs dramatic revision.

Whitman said of the GOP critics:

"None of those people seem to be our military commanders on the ground. And I think they're probably in the best position to make some determinations as to how well the strategy is working."

Whitman said the top brass in Iraq was reporting "significant improvements in security."