The evil, fork-tongued Robert Novak of the Chicago Sun Times reported today:

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has gone public with criticism of President Bush’s Iraq policy, is caustic in private about the proposed ‘’surge'’ of 30,000 additional U.S. troops.

Powell noted that the recent congressional delegation to Iraq headed by Sen. John McCain heard from combat officers that they wanted more troops.

‘’The colonels will always say they need more troops,'’ the retired general says. ‘’That’s why we have generals.'’

A footnote: Senior Republican senators are trying to get word to the president that any troop surge would be dead on arrival in Congress.

When the breeze blows another way, Novak is there with the wind in his face.