It’s no secret that the Democrats have a vested interest in the US losing the war in Iraq. Many of them are even actively and openly rooting for as much (yeah, I’m looking at you Harry Reid).

Many proclaimed the surge to be a dismal failure (before it even started), and many have already called the war “lost”.

But, in the face of overwhelming evidence that the surge is in fact working (even being acknowledged by first-hand accounts from Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) who are singing praises of the military successes in Iraq), Democrats are starting to change their tune.

WASHINGTON (AP) – One senator said U.S. troops are routing out al-Qaida in parts of Iraq. Another insisted President Bush’s plan to increase troops has caused tactical momentum. One even went so far on Wednesday as to say the argument could be made that U.S. troops are winning.

These are not Bush-backing GOP die-hards, but Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Bob Casey and Jack Reed. Even Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, said progress was being made by soldiers.

The suggestions by them and other Democrats in recent days that at least a portion of Bush’s strategy in Iraq is working is somewhat surprising, considering the bitter exchanges on Capitol Hill between the Democratic majority and Republicans and Bush. Democrats have long said Bush’s policies have been nothing more than a complete failure.

Maybe they’re starting to get the message that Americans, while wanting the war to end, don’t want to lose as badly as the Democratic leadership does. Perhaps Democrats are starting to realize that constantly rooting for a military lose might hurt them at the polls?