This is pretty interesting. Officials with the struggling McCain campaign are developing a new argument: The "success" of the surge, which McCain had long advocated for, will enable him to turn his Presidential effort around. The Associated Press has the details:

Earlier this year, Bush essentially adopted McCain's troop-increase strategy, and the senator's political future became directly linked to the war's outcome.

"Nothing goes to his commander-in-chief credentials more than that four years ago, almost alone among politicians, McCain was calling for this very strategy -- and now it's showing success," said Mark Salter, a senior adviser to the senator.

McCain is also hoping that the media circus that will greet Petraeus's upbeat testimony will buoy his campaign. He is planning a September chock full of Iraq-War-related events, including a mid-September campaign swing called the "No Surrender" tour. He's going to stand with veterans at countless photo ops, the AP says.

Of course, the surge hasn't produced its desired effect -- political reconciliation in Iraq -- and shows no signs of doing so in the future. And solid majorities still want out of Iraq. But these inconvenient facts don't seem to matter to McCain or any other war supporters. To them, the surge is "succeeding" and the American people agree and want to "stay the course," and nothing will ever, ever change that. When 80%-90% want out of Iraq, it will still be true.